


Alliance

by FireStorm1991



Series: Blackmail [2]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Science Fiction, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 71,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29495199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireStorm1991/pseuds/FireStorm1991
Summary: Prequel to Blackmail. He needed to know. He wanted to know. Something inside the prince wanted to know his planet's history, but hearing the events may be more than he bargained for. Trust, compassion, and honor play a major role throughout as he takes in all about enslavement, war, and an unbreakable alliance that defeated the universe's most evil tyrant.Original FFN Run: May 3, 2016 - July 12, 2016
Relationships: Bulma Briefs/Vegeta (mentioned), Raditz (Dragon Ball)/Original Female Character(s), Tights Briefs/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Blackmail [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031574
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters
> 
> Hello again! Welcome to the Prequel of Blackmail. I wrote this piece to connect  Blackmail to its sequel Camaraderie. It's a strange sort of prequel where it has scenes that occur after Blackmail as Little Trunks tries to piece together the history of his planet. So, it can be read after the first story, or before. I hope you enjoy!

_Something was not right. When he asked his mother about it, he felt her discomfort before she told him, “Go and ask your father. It is his story to tell.” That had been Trunks’s first clue that something was wrong._

_All he wanted to know was what Planet Vegeta and Planet Earth were like in the past. At first, Trunks asked about Earth. He heard some of his classmates talk about the division between Vegeta and Earth. His mother was reluctant to explain to him that the reason ties were cut were due to his grandfather’s, his namesake’s, actions. Trunks didn’t like that, and he was starting to wonder why he’d be named after an enemy. That was when his mother told him about what would have happened and of his future counterpart that came to their timeline to help. After that, Trunks held his name proudly, knowing that his counterpart made a difference._

_Bulma even told him about her past, her imaginary friend and therapy, though not the name or ever in much detail, and even about her grandfathers. She told him about the underground fighting, school, how she met his father. Trunks loved to hear the stories. It made him happy that his mother trusted him deeply enough to tell him these things. He trusted both his parents immensely, too._

_That’s why, when he asked about Planet Vegeta’s history and his mother shut down on him, he was startled. It wasn’t that Bulma was scared to tell her son, but she wanted Trunks to ask his dad. The way she said it, though, meant the boy probably wouldn’t like everything he heard, but he needed to learn._

_Trunks needed to know. He wanted to know._

_The child found Vegeta in a gravity room—his mother’s latest design—performing his kata smoothly while in his Super Saiyan form. Trunks was always awed by his father’s other form and, to his knowledge, he was the only one who ever got to see it on a normal basis. His father traced everyone’s ki, so he knew Trunks was there, yet he didn’t feel the need to alter his form. Trunks patiently waited until his father finished his moves and returned to base form before he entered the training room._

_Vegeta moved to guzzle down a bottle of water, panted from the overexertion. He was sort of thankful his son entered the room so that he had the excuse to interrupt himself. Had Trunks not shown up when he did, Vegeta would most likely be on the ground unconscious. He didn’t like to stop himself when he was in the middle of his self-imposed session. Some old habits were hard to break._

_“Is there something you need?” he asked getting right to the point._

_Trunks smiled and nodded. “Mom was telling me about Earth and the other me, and I asked her about Planet Vegeta’s history.” He frowned when he noticed his father stiffen. “She told me to ask you because it’s your story to tell.”_

_Vegeta smirked slightly at that. He knew that Bulma took their trust seriously. He was aware that she told Trunks a lot about their relationship and did not mind it. Truth be told, Vegeta knew Trunks would keep both of their secrets for life. Their son took honesty, trust, and honor very seriously, just like both his parents. The fact that Bulma wanted Trunks to hear about his past from him showed that she not only wanted to protect what he didn’t wish to divulge to their son, but that she accepted his past and felt that the only way to keep trust between the princes was for Vegeta to honor his bond with Trunks._

_“It is a difficult topic for me to discuss,” he admitted to his son as he met the boy’s curious and concerned blue eyes._ Just like his mother… _“You may have a hard time accepting any of it. Our people lived in stark contrast to how we live now. War was a constant, and there were no alliances back then. I have no problem telling you, but the only other people to know of it in such detail were those who were there and your mother. If you struggle with any of it, tell me or your mother, and we can discuss it further, understand?”_

_Trunks gave a curt nod; his expression grew serious. He was prepared to learn about his people, no matter what was done in the past. Vegeta could feel the boy’s determination and interest, and he smirked. “Well, it all started a long time ago when my great-grandfather came to power…”_

* * *

The nomadic tribe of the Saiyans had been searching for their new home for months, after their planet, Sadala, was destroyed by an unexplainable force. Chief Vegeta I led his troops to victory against the last race they encountered. The leader led full purges of the planets; however, the planets were never suitable enough for the Saiyans’ appetite or power, causing them to abandon the worlds.

When they came upon a black and red planet that resembled the color of blood, they decided to investigate. The planet was unlike anything they had ever seen. The gravity was intense, but comfortable to the warrior race, and the terrain looked strong enough to handle their attacks. They decided to look around and came across large cities with another humanoid race, the Tuffles. The Tuffles of Planet Plant were very welcoming and prepared a large feast for their alien visitors. When Chief Vegeta told them of their home world’s destruction—omitting the fact that they had purged other planets—the Tuffle king offered permanent residency for the Saiyan race. Vegeta humbly accepted, and the two races lived in harmony.

It wasn’t until Chief Vegeta I’s nameless mate gave birth to a son, Vegeta the Second. The boy, like his father, was ruthless. Surprisingly, though, Chief Vegeta had become comfortable with the life on Planet Plant and the friendship with the Tuffle king. Where the Saiyans were still warriors, they only had each other to fight. Vegeta the Second was unhappy with sitting at the sidelines. He wanted war and went to his father to demand the king take over the planet—the same as their ancestors.

Chief Vegeta explained to his son the benefits of forming an alliance with the Tuffles. They would have never found their home had they continued with their behavior. The Saiyan chief accepted that the Saiyans would no longer purge. There wasn’t any need despite the desire to fight. He hoped his son would learn as he had, and to appease the rest of the race, Chief Vegeta had a stadium built so that grand tournaments could be held. On the day the Tuffles accepted the Saiyans, both races would participate and watch the tournament.

The Tuffles, at the time, didn’t mind the Saiyans’ strength. In fact, they admired them. They were technologically advanced, but they knew, if a strong enemy attacked, that backup would be needed. It was around the time where Chief Vegeta’s reign came to an end that the Tuffle prince went to Vegeta the Second hoping to continue their kings’ friendship.

Vegeta the Second took it as an opportunity to lead the prince into a false sense of security. He promised the Saiyans’ protection and even told his father the alliance would be kept intact. Meanwhile, he trained Saiyans in secret, underground, for war against the Tuffles. He wanted Planet Plant all to himself. He would give the Saiyans their glory.

The death of the chief was the worst thing that could have happened to the Saiyan and Tuffle races. The day he died, Chief Vegeta II led an assault against the Tuffle king. The ruler was completely horrified at Vegeta’s treachery, unraveled and heartbroken as the other leader took his life. The Tuffle prince begged for answers and mercy, but Chief Vegeta II ignored his pleas, decapitated the man, and then went to slaughter the Tuffle people.

* * *

_Vegeta could feel Trunks’s dismay to hear that his own great-grandfather betrayed his friend in such a manner. His arms crossed as he waited for the boy’s distress to pass, however it didn’t leave him. “We can stop if you’d like. It is a very hard history to stomach, and it isn’t the worst of it.”_

_“It’s not that,” Trunks assured his father. “Just, why would anyone want to break an alliance? What reason did he have? Was he truly against his father’s wishes, or was he afraid the Tuffles would betray him?”_

_“The Tuffles would not have betrayed us,” Vegeta responded. “As I said, they were weak and only had their technology. Even if their technology held the Saiyans back for a while, ultimately our strength overcame. The Saiyans beat down the Tuffle rebellion once the full moon appeared. A full moon is very rare on Planet Vegeta and, at that time, we transform into giant apes, the Oozaru. Our power in that state is only rivaled by, as loathe as I am to admit it, the Arcosians and the Super Saiyan.”_

_“Is that why when the full moon was out last month, Mom made me stay inside?”_

_Vegeta nodded. “It had been one-hundred years since that day,” he explained. “That is why your grandfather mandated that all the Saiyans remain inside with the threat of incarceration. Saiyans do not do well in enclosed spaces.”_

_The prince could tell his son wanted to ask something else, the burning curiosity consumed his consciousness. “Yes?”_

_“It’s just that…Mom mentioned…who exactly are the Arcosians?”_

_At the question, Vegeta’s expression darkened and anger consumed him. For a moment Trunks was nervous that he had been the cause of his father’s anger. Vegeta placed a hand on his shoulder to assure the boy that it was not his fault. “Your mother told you of King Cold?” Trunks nodded. “He was the King of the Arcosians. His son, Frieza…well…”_

* * *

The Saiyans returned to their mercenary life after the complete annihilation of the Tuffles. All of the Saiyans had been against the alliance with the other race and happy to resume their pirating ways. The Saiyan children were trained from early ages to take life and hunt. Some were even hypnotized and sent to other planets to purge. The Saiyans would then sell the property to the highest bidder.

King Vegeta I, formerly known as Chief Vegeta II, eventually renamed Planet Plant Planet Vegeta after himself, and had a son who he also named Vegeta. Vegeta the Third inherited all of this and honored his father’s pride. Pride was always a big deal to the Saiyans and, at that time, it was all they cared about.

The purging lifestyle was very profitable for the warrior race, so they continued to develop their own technology to facilitate this. They were well-known throughout the universe for their brutality. Even planets who hadn’t even known of other alien life caught wind, including a man on Earth who was warned away from space travel by a race called the Nameks, a man who would one day father a Saiyan princess and destroy an alliance. It even caught the attention of Frieza, the scourge of space. He sought the Saiyans out, requested an audience with King Vegeta II—the current Saiyan king—and offered up his resources, technology, and money. The Saiyans just wanted to prove themselves the strongest. King Vegeta accepted this deal since he saw no downside.

He never realized what it would entail…

“King Vegeta,” Nappa, the Saiyan general, called, his expression serious. “Frieza will be here within the week.”

The king felt a rage he couldn’t explain arise in him at the name of the Arcosian he made a deal with a decade before. Since that day, their race had suffered greatly. In the beginning, the new technology and armor made fighting and expanding their kingdom much easier. However, any planets acquired through purging teams or Saiyan children were immediately turned over to Frieza’s empire, and the Arcosian’s disrespect to their race was ever increasing.

“Why? All our teams are ahead of schedule and accepting missions his men are too cowardly to take,” the king scoffed. “There should be no reason for him to be here.”

Nappa hesitated in his answer. Through the decade, the Saiyans’ hatred for Frieza grew. The Arcosian would come unannounced, enter the palace like he owned it, even insulted Saiyans as far to call them uncivilized monkeys and demand to sit in their great king’s throne. No one expected the deal to turn into this farce of a treaty. The only reason the Saiyans allowed this to happen was because they knew Frieza’s strength was immense, and his reputation for destroying planets was a well-known rumor. The people did not wish to risk it as long as Frieza didn’t overstep his boundaries further.

“He wants to enlist Saiyans to join his army and leave on his ship,” Nappa explained. “The people have been alerted, and some are willing to go. Turna, my mate, has agreed to be one enlisted.”

The king thought on this and didn’t like the idea of some other leader managing his troops, but Nappa was the general who trained them. Vegeta was surprised that Turna would be willing to go with the Arcosian, though it wasn’t unexpected. Female warriors were just as strong as the men, and they could make their own separate decisions. The only connections mates had were bonds and children, but the mothers were almost never involved with the children other than giving birth, and they hardly interacted with their mates. The queen was an exception, as well as the general’s mate. Turna was actually a good friend of King Vegeta’s mate, Kalina, through Nappa who had been the queen’s childhood friend.

“What of Celen? Have you told him?”

Nappa looked grim. “I did not. My son is stupid enough to get himself killed. He has his mother’s sharp tongue, yet my self-control when it comes to that bastard. I was hoping you would be willing to give him another duty until his teenage years are over.”

King Vegeta nodded. He had no son of his own, yet, but he was certain he would be protective of the boy after he was born. Nappa had always been a decent general and wonderful advisor, and the fact that his queen had grown up with him gave him more weight with the king. “If that is what you want, I will offer him a job here in the palace. Various aliens have been wandering into our territory. I need someone to police the ship bay. Last violator killed a third-class. We need someone to do away with the filth.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Nappa remarked. He knew his son probably wouldn’t like the job, but as long as Celen was away from Frieza, Nappa didn’t care. “He’ll be here tomorrow to report.”

The king nodded and shooed Nappa away. That was when his mate entered. Vegeta looked at her; he appeared bored but felt immense anger at the Arcosian tyrant. “Kalina,” he greeted. “What are you doing out of bed? Did the doctor tell you what was wrong?”

Kalina nodded; she held her chest as another wave of nausea hit. “Basically,” she said tauntingly, “it’s your fault.”

The king looked appalled by her statement. “My fault? How is you getting sick, which by the way Saiyans never get, my fault?” he snapped.

His mate only laughed, a sound he rarely got to hear. “Because your son is having a party in there,” she joked, and Vegeta could feel her euphoria through the bond.

Kalina expected her mate to be thrilled that he would finally have his heir, assuming it was a boy, but instead she felt anger, disgust, and fear. “Vegeta?”

“You are to tell no one,” the king ordered. “Not even Nappa or Turna. Tell your doctor to keep quiet. Frieza will be here within the week. I do not wish him to know of your condition. He may make an attempt on your life.”

“Do you honestly believe he would do that?” the queen asked as terror flooded her. The king nodded, and her expression deflated, although her battle readiness took over. Sternly, she replied, “Then I will keep it quiet. No one will know we are to have a child.”

The king needed time to get his emotions together, so he sent his mate away. His mind couldn’t fathom the fact that he was actually having a child. It was something he always needed, somewhat wanted. His son would be an extension of him and a great leader, for he would make sure to teach him the Saiyan mantra and ways. He would be as ruthless and cutthroat as his people. He would lead the Saiyans to glory once again.

* * *

Nappa’s son, Celen, reported for duty the next day, angered at his father for not giving him a choice in the matter. When Celen heard from his mother and the other soldiers he passed by about Frieza enlisting Saiyans for his army, he was ready to sign up. It would have been his honor to prove to the Arcosian bastard that the Saiyans were not merely pawns of his. He wanted to change the alien’s thinking, but instead he was placed on the taskforce at the palace. Sure, he’d get to live at the palace if he wanted—which he didn’t—but he would be another nameless face dealing with weakling stragglers. His job was basically sanitation, cleaning up the alien filth that dared land on their planet.

Celen was alone on his first day, as all first-timers in the taskforce were. The king needed to see what he could do on his first day, if he had the stomach to fulfill his duty no matter what the cost.

The job was too easy. That day was around an intergalactic holiday, so many passersby decided landing on Vegeta for their pit stop was a good idea. It didn’t matter to the humiliated Saiyan. He had a job to do.

After five tourists were murdered, Celen realized that the job was even more monotonous than anything else he had ever done. He was better than this job. He wanted to fight in battle, not wipe out random, most likely innocent aliens. He wanted to eliminate the bastards that truly deserved it. He hated the Colds and wanted to tell them off on more than one occasion, but his father always prevented him from doing so. It was a good thing for Celen that the other Saiyans felt the same derision, for he surely would have been arrested and killed for treason.

Another ship reading alerted Celen and broke him from his miasma of thoughts. He looked out into the distance and saw a very strange ship, one that did not look either Saiyan or Arcosian. It didn’t look like any other standard ship. To be honest, it looked like a piece of junk.

Celen held out his hand and formed a ki ball. He was going to take his anger out on the trash heap, but then his scouter picked up an incredibly weak ki. He had no idea why any alien species that had a ki level as weak as two would be travelling by their planet. Whatever alien this species was from had balls to enter any territory of the Planet Trade Organization.

Curiosity took over, and Celen allowed the craft to land. If this alien was willing to face a Saiyan with such a pathetic power level, there had to be a reason. He would honor this weakling and listen to what he had to say, and if it was something important, he’d arrest the man for trespassing and let the king decide his fate.

When the craft landed, nothing happened. It simply landed and shut down, and no alien came to face him. Slightly irritated, Celen decided to board the horribly built craft and confront this alien.

He kept his guard up, but the low ki traced by the scouter did not moved an inch since he entered. For a moment, Celen felt uneasy by what he would find. He saw a light over by the control system and raced to check it out only to find a blonde, female, humanoid alien unconscious on the ground. The Saiyan looked around, did not detect any other lifeform with the scouter, and went to check the woman out.

He lifted the girl up in his arm, one that looked not much older than himself, and shook her gently. “Woman, wake up,” he ordered, though for some reason he felt panic. “You have to explain yourself. Who the hell are you?”

The woman seemed to stir at his loud calls, her dark eyes peeked as she attempted to speak. This girl stuttered the word ‘h-elp’, and Celen’s brow quirked. He had never heard the word before, though he only just started getting the hang of the new standard intergalactic language that most races supposedly knew. The girl then spoke again. “H-help, me…please.”

Celen tried to piece the words together in his mind and realized that what the stranger was asking for was assistance. His eyes narrowed and he was prepared to do away with her. He thought up a response and used the standard language to communicate it. “Why should I assist a weakling like you?” he shot back. “We don’t cater to uninvited guests. Your trespassing will be your last crime.”

He powered up a ki blast, the teenaged woman’s eyes widened in fear as she tried to talk back. Tears appeared in her eyes making Celen internally scoff. He had never seen or met a more pathetic creature. “I beg you,” the woman replied, “please, listen. I need help. I’m serving in the Galactic Patrol...”

The ki blast instantly diminished, and scared, brown eyes met Celen’s startled orbs. “Galactic Patrol?” he questioned. He then chuckled. “I didn’t think the Galactic Patrol travelled in such crappy ships. I think you’re lying.”

“I…” the woman said before a pain took over her. Her hand moved to her abdomen as she cried out. It was the first time Celen noticed blood pouring out of a wound that looked like it was caused by a PTO blaster. For a moment, the cruelty left Celen and he could only pity the woman who, with her weak power level, went up against one of Frieza’s soldiers. He knew exactly what to do to treat her wound, but he already knew his job was to eliminate her.

He knew what he had to do.

He shot a blast and it met its target, on the other side of the room. The lone security camera that recorded his every action was destroyed by whatever creature that had been inside the ship. He got to work, lifted the woman up, and carried her outside her ship. The Saiyan looked back to the junk pile, ready to destroy any evidence, but the woman placed her hand on his. Celen felt an instant jolt in his mind and heart but ignored it. Instead, he focused on the stranger he was risking everything for. “Hit the button on the side,” she told him. “The ship will hide itself.”

She passed out in his arms, and Celen was about to blast the ship. It was clear the woman was delirious in her pain. Technology like what she suggested did not exist in the universe. He did see a button, though, and for some reason decided to humor the passed-out woman. His heart stopped when the ship disappeared, only a little peg on the ground remained. He looked over to the sleeping woman who was bleeding out against him. He only had one thought on his mind. Just who was this woman?

* * *

_“Who was the woman?”_

_“Hm?” Vegeta questioned his child._

_“The woman who was looking for shelter? And how did her ship go away? And, I like that Celen helped her, but why did he break his mandate? Wouldn’t grandpa…the way he was then…wouldn’t he have—”_

_Vegeta stopped him. “Boy, you are asking too many questions that I don’t know the answer to myself,” he admitted. “At the time, as I said, I wasn’t even born yet. This was before the relationship between the Saiyans and PTO became even worse. Yes, all the Saiyans hated Frieza, but he became more and more disrespectful and entitled as the years went on, and no one could do anything about it.”_

_Trunks sighed. “Okay, but what about the woman?”_

_The older prince shook his head. “To be honest, I can only recount what I was told. Nappa is the one who knows more about the woman. If you have any questions on her, he is the one you should ask. He was not pleased with his son’s actions at the time, though, so tread cautiously if you do decide to ask. As for her ship, I don’t know what technology was used, though there were many planets, including Earth, developing storage technology similar to it. Of course, the alliance didn’t exist then, and Nappa said that woman always refused to tell where she was from. For some reason, she distrusted the Saiyans. I am not surprised, honestly. What Celen did…it was unheard of, but I am glad he did.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Because that woman helped take down Frieza.”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

“You idiot!”

Celen winced as his father screamed at him for his actions, and the young Saiyan was honestly thankful his mother had been away the last few days training. He realized that he had risked his family’s honor and life by harboring the woman he found, as well as his new job and favor with the royal family. He had no defense for his actions. How could you defend the actions you couldn’t explain?

He wanted to say, ‘Father, she was dying’, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Why did he care? He never cared before. Saiyans never cared about outsiders. Any deals they made, idealistically, were for their own benefit. Frieza had been a bad judgment call, but the deal was only made because the king believed they could benefit somehow. They hadn’t heard rumors of his strength until much later.

“I swear, I don’t know what I’m going to do with you!” Nappa continued his tirade. “Do you know what you’ve done? You were given _one_ job, _one_ order, and you couldn’t even complete it.”

“I know,” was all Celen could say. “There is nothing I can say to defend myself. I apologize for failing you.”

Celen entered his room; his tail fell from his waist as he sighed. He felt incredibly stupid and hurt for angering his father. By helping this woman, he spat on the pride of his family, and he knew he may never be forgiven. Still, he was stopped by some unforeseeable force, and so that was how he was able to justify his crime to himself. To disobey an order of the king was treason, and to keep it quiet was just as bad. Celen knew his father would keep his secret. The youth did a good job cleaning up the scene and made it look good. Once he brought the woman to his home, he returned to the landing bay covered in blood and then fixed the camera. He made it look like he destroyed the creature and its ship as if everything was just fine. The task force and the royal family would never know.

The Saiyan sat on a chair facing the woman and noticed that she was very pretty, for an alien anyway. He had never seen any species with her blonde coloring. His eyes surveyed her and moved to the wound he cleaned and dressed. Hopefully, she would wake up so he could get some answers. He needed saving her to be worth it to him after he risked his family’s pride and honor.

He didn’t realized that his door wasn’t shut and that his father was on his tail. Nappa was by the door, ready to enter and finish his son’s job for him when the woman finally stirred and made noises. She gasped in pain after she stretched slightly, obviously really affected by her wound. She opened her brown eyes, attempted to sit up but failed to do so as her eyes simply moved to Celen fearfully. “Wh-wha…?”

Celen snorted. “What a reaction. Do you forget where you are?” Tears formed in the girl’s eyes; she obviously remembered their first interaction. “Relax. You’re safe, for now at least. Why the hell did you come here? You have to realize that Planet Vegeta is not a safe place for Galactic Patrolmen. What were you thinking?”

“I…” the girl spoke, “feel really heavy.”

The Saiyan’s brow quirked before he remembered that not all planets had as high a gravity as Vegeta. Still, for someone in the Galactic Patrol, they should be used to at least half the gravity of Vegeta and be able to utilize their ki to compensate. He ignored her wondering and said, “Then you’re lucky your bones haven’t been crushed. Who are you?”

The woman hesitated. “I can’t…can’t tell you. You’ll kill me if I do.”

Celen rolled his eyes. “You’re running that risk by dodging my questions. Either answer me or I will turn you over to the king for trespassing.”

She sighed; her eyes became sad as she managed to push herself up, ignoring the pain it caused. Her eyes met Celen’s as she began to explain. “I will be honest with you, but you have to listen to my full story.”

“Fine,” Celen surrendered, then crossed his arms, “but it better be a good one.”

After taking a breath, the blonde began her tale. “I am not an official Galactic Patrolman,” she admitted, earning a glare. “I am from a planet that honestly hasn’t done much with space travel. Years ago, over a decade ago, my father made contact with alien life and they warned us not to go into space. To be honest, your race was who they were worried about at the time. You have quite the reputation.”

“Flattery will not help you,” Celen countered, this time the woman’s eyes narrowed as if to say he was so full of himself for she had not been saying this out of flattery. “Continue.”

“So, my father warned the government not to pursue space travel,” she continued, “for he was speaking of alien life. Those on our planet were skeptical about it. To be fair, only few on our planet believed in aliens.”

Celen scoffed derisively. That was a new one he hadn’t heard. “I’m a science fiction writer back home,” she continued, “and the government demanded my father begin space travel operations. There were few willing to test the ship out, so I stepped up thinking I might get ideas for a new story. My father was against it, but once I said I was going, many of our scientists started to volunteer. No one wanted me to go alone.”

But she was alone when Celen found her, so her story started to lose its credibility. “Eventually, we had to land on a planet, or we would have been too far away from our own, and that is where things took a turn. I met a Galactic Patrolman who rescued me from being mugged by those aliens our people didn’t believe existed, and he warned us back to our own planet. He told us not to speak of our world to anyone and—”

“Then why are you telling me any of this?” Celen asked skeptically.

The woman frowned and looked down at the sheets. “B-because…you didn’t kill me. You could have, but you didn’t. I…I have to trust you if I’m going to survive this.” She looked him in the eye once again and he held back a gasp. “Basically, if you decide to turn me in, I’m dead. You hold my life in your hands, and I can either cooperate or just surrender and let you kill me, and I never surrender.”

Celen clamped up. He had no response to that. Her declaration was so very Saiyan-like and it took his breath away. He nodded for her to continue. He didn’t have his answers yet, anyway, he reasoned. He couldn’t take her life or turn her over without them. “Anyway…the patrolman tried to send us back, then he was pursued. I know I probably shouldn’t have gotten involved, but he had saved me, so I had to. We took off in our ship, and the crew managed to get off the planet in time. Then he brought us back to his base.”

“Where is the base?” Celen asked. Keeping the girl alive may have been useful. If he could get the location of the Galactic Patrol hideout, then they could take it by storm.

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “I know what your people would do if I tell you that, and I will not betray them. They helped me send the other workers home and allowed me to stay and help them. I…I’m not just a writer, but a pretty decent hacker. They found information on Planet Trade operations that even you Saiyans are unaware of.”

Celen rolled his eyes. “Enlighten me. And admitting this all to me…you’re asking to be put to death, woman.”

“It’s Tights,” the blonde huffed. “My name is Tights.”

“Tights,” Celen repeated not understanding why he liked the way it rolled off his tongue. “Never heard a name like it.”

“Frieza destroyed the planet of one of his allies,” Tights announced side-stepping the remark. Immediately, the curiosity left Celen; he stood up and glared at her, then grabbed her from the collar of her shirt.

“And what the hell do you mean by that?” he shouted in her face. The girl closed her eyes, and she gasped out in pain once again before Celen released her. Tights crashed quickly to the ground unable to lift herself up. “I think you’re trying to save your own ass.”

“I…I have proof,” Tights said through gritted teeth. “Jaco and I were on our way to report our findings to the whole galactic council, but Frieza’s men caught wind of me hacking the system and came after us. Jaco…he protected me and told me to escape and get the information to someone who could help, to warn other worlds of Frieza’s treachery. He…he’s a monster, and he won’t stop with Planet Megalla.”

“Y-you lie,” Celen declared. “There’s no way Frieza would destroy Megalla. The scientists there are the ones who developed most of the PTO standard technology. He wouldn’t murder all those scientists.”

“I swear to you,” Tights said, her voice hoarse from strain, “it won’t just be Megalla. Frieza isn’t stupid. He demanded scientists volunteer to serve in his army, and even looked at a few himself. Once they were on the ship, his ship took off, but he stopped it right outside the planet. Their technology was becoming too advanced, and they were developing something to siphon energy from the sun. It…could have also been used on this ki energy Jaco told me about, and so Frieza felt threatened. He destroyed the planet. I found everything. Everything he told to his men, files on the Megallan people, and the archives of planets from which Megalla was removed.”

The story sounded crazy and farfetched, but Celen and even his eavesdropping father remembered that Frieza would be taking soldiers from Planet Vegeta. “And why did you decide to land here? You could have gone to one of your allied planets. What benefit do you have coming to Vegeta?”

“Because he’s coming here next,” Tights stated. “I…I don’t know if he’s going to do the same thing. I had to warn you all even if you aren’t much better. No one deserves to die that way.”

Celen felt something stir in his chest as tears formed in the woman’s eyes. This woman, who was not really supposed to be a part of his world or the Galactic Patrol, was there warning them. She had everything to lose by coming there, knowing they’d most likely kill her. She told him everything and, if he wanted, he could bring everything she said to him and her proof to King Vegeta himself and they could prepare. But she hadn’t really given him proof, and that she would use as her bargaining chip. Celen was sure of it.

“So, you’ll offer your proof for protection,” he laughed. “But what if I don’t believe you? Maybe I should kill you now and pretend I heard nothing. I’m not letting you bargain for your life.”

“I’m not trying to bargain for my life,” Tights replied. “I’m here to do the right thing, whether you kill me or not. The proof is in my ship log. All you have to do is tap the button and toss the pod down and it’ll open. There is no password encryption.”

Celen picked up the peg and observed it. He wondered which planet this technology came from. Tights wouldn’t tell her the name of her planet, but he assumed it was most likely Planet Shikk. They were sort of new to space travel, and they were one of the first planets to investigate storage technology. Still, Celen knew quite a bit about assuming and, honestly, he had enough for one sitting. “You’re certain about this,” he stated, though it was certainly a question.

“I am,” Tights replied. “Like I said, I don’t know if that’s what he’s planning. The Megallan scientists were asked for scientists three generations before they were destroyed. He only just demanded troops from Planet Vegeta, so maybe it’ll be a while before he does this. I just needed someone to be aware. Who knows…maybe you’ll inform the Galactic Patrol in my place.”

“Why would I do that?” Celen questioned in genuine curiosity. Why was the girl talking that way? “You can tell them yourself, if you can make it off the planet that is.”

“You…” Tights gasped out. “You aren’t going to kill me?”

Celen’s expression softened, a rare occurrence with any Saiyan. He understood why the girl was talking like she couldn’t perform her duties. “I have to ask…” he started. “If…if you knew this whole mess was dangerous and you knew we had our reputation, why did you even bother? When your people were sent back home, why didn’t you join them? You wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“When Jaco told me what was going on out here, I couldn’t go back without helping as best as I could,” Tights explained. “I planned on returning home to check in after I got the information to Galactic Patrol, but I was injured and Jaco was still fighting. I’m hoping he made it out okay. He risked everything to get the information back to the base and to save me. I couldn’t make it to the base, honestly. I was wounded and I would have died beforehand. I took a shot. I figured that if I got the chance to warn you about all that even if I died the information would get to where it needed to be.”

“I can’t believe you risked this,” Celen murmured and then shook his head. “I should turn you in alone just for committing treason against Frieza and the PTO and for trespassing on our world…”

“But?” Tights whispered, hopeful by tone of the Saiyan’s voice.

“But,” Celen sighed, “I’m honesty impressed by the risks you took for something that you believed in. Even if you don’t have the strength to back up that attitude, you made sure that you’d succeed and are willing to accept death. You aren’t truly afraid. Well, you are, but obviously not of me.”

“Does…does that mean…?”

“Yes,” Celen responded. He extended a hand to the woman. “You have my trust. I know Frieza is a bastard, so it is not farfetched. I have no idea how I’m going to warn the king without risking my family’s status or your life.”

“I can help with that,” she assured him as she took his hand and let him lift her up. “You can tell him that you destroyed the ship after you checked the computer drive. You can report all the information to him.”

Celen nodded. “Sounds like as good an idea as any. I have one other question, though.”

“What?”

“What would you have done if I told you I would kill you?”

Tights gasped, not wanting to answer at first. She turned sad eyes to him. “I wiped all information about my planet and its coordinates from my ship, but I left a way for my father to be contacted. Had you said you would kill me or turned me in, I would have asked for you to send him a message to tell him and my mother that I died trying to help protect the universe.”

Celen said nothing else and led the woman back to his bed. He offered her support, impressed with the fact that she was getting the hang of the planet’s gravity. The Saiyan sat her down on the bed, her expression a mixture of shock and thankfulness. “Celen,” he finally said.

“Hm?” Tights asked. “I’ve never heard that word before.”

The Saiyan chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not a word. It’s my name, woman.”

Her face flushed with anger, but she instantly calmed as she saw Celen’s jovial smirk. She couldn’t help but smile knowing that he was toying with her. “Surprisingly, it’s nice to meet you, Celen.”

“Tights,” Celen stated, “surprisingly, it’s an honor to meet you, too.”

* * *

_Trunks listened intently as Nappa finished up the story of how his son met the woman, Tights. Before the story began, Nappa explained to the Saiyan prince that even though she was a hero honored by the Saiyans, no one beside him, his mate, and his son knew her name. Back then, Trunks learned, it was illegal for outsiders to mate with a Saiyan, and Tights eventually became Celen’s mate. Trunks was honored that Nappa entrusted him with secrets that not even his grandmother or father knew. They only knew the basics the former general wanted them to know, way after the battle with Frieza._

_“She was very brave,” Nappa remarked, “and we were so foolish. I honestly planned to go to the king myself. Celen was pissed at me for eavesdropping on their conversation, but he understood. Our family was at risk. Treason was a big deal even then, and your grandfather never took kindly to it.”_

_“I can understand why, but Tights wanted to help,” Trunks responded. “Wasn’t that worth protecting?”_

_“I was not a nice man back then, Trunks,” Nappa admitted. “None of us were. To me, she was nothing more than a weakling that was disposable. I didn’t realize until it was too late just how much my son cared for her. He did a lot to make her feel comfortable on our planet, but there were times she needed to return to her own. Celen helped her sneak around, and eventually he did the unthinkable and joined the Galactic Patrol alongside her. At the time, both my mate and I shunned him. We no longer wanted to associate with him. No one knew the specifics, and he would return to Planet Vegeta from time to time with Tights claiming her to be his assistant. They lived in a small home in the outskirts, a quaint place that no Saiyan would ever accept to live. He even went back to her world with her, never once betrayed her or told us where it was.”_

_“He loved her, huh?” Trunks pondered. The Saiyan would have had to love her to give up his life like that._

_Nappa looked incredibly upset at the question, and Trunks felt bad for causing him distress by following his curiosity. “Yeah, kid, he did. He ended up dying for her, all because of that bastard, Frieza, and his family.”_

_“Yeah…Dad doesn’t like Frieza,” Trunks said. “He said he’d tell me more about him later this week. He wanted to mentally prepare.”_

_“Frieza did a number on us, kid,” Nappa explained, “and your father took the brunt of it. It’s going to be harder for him to tell you, and even harder for you to hear. Just be patient. He probably won’t be able to get it all out in one day.”_

_Trunks nodded, accepted what his guardian was saying. “So, what happened after Celen went to Grandpa? Did Grandpa believe him about Frieza?”_

_The older Saiyan’s expression darkened. “Kid…not only did he believe it, but he tried to postpone deployment of our men.”_

* * *

Celen argued with his father all night about the girl. Nappa overheard everything, and he was disgusted by his son’s weakness. To think he actually put his trust in the alien woman. The idea was as insulting as it was laughable. Surprisingly enough, the woman was right, and both Celen and Nappa saw the information. Their expressions grim, Nappa agreed to go with Celen to report the findings to the king.

King Vegeta remained stoic as Nappa told him everything, even corroborating Celen’s and Tights’s story of how he came to be in possession of Galactic Patrol information. The king was impressed that Celen did the right thing and done away with the pesky agent. The Galactic Patrol was the enemy of the PTO. They threatened the Saiyan way of life, but the fact that they held this warning did make King Vegeta strangely thankful they existed. Of course, neither the king nor Nappa knew then that Celen decided to honor Tights’s wishes by forwarding the information to Galactic Patrol, along with the warning to keep it quiet for the Saiyans would know of his treachery. The head responded that could handle the manner covertly, especially since there was evidence that another PTO planet disappeared from the space vacuum. For the first time, fear struck Celen’s heart.

He continued with his new job, tried to ignore everything going on around him. His entire way of life was being threatened, and not just by Frieza. Each day, he’d return home, nurse Tights until her wound healed and she could move on her own. She was the first woman he ever interacted with besides fighting and sex, and that made her different. Celen wasn’t sure if it was a good difference. He actually felt empathetic to the girl, an enemy to his people, an outsider, someone who should be nothing.

At first, she was just a nuisance and irritating presence that threated his livelihood and pride. Then, she was this pitiful creature getting used to increase gravity and healing so much slower than any Saiyan. She remained in his bed, and he would talk with her whenever he was home. Though she was guarded, she did humor his questions, and he did the same for her. Things started to change, though, as more outsiders kept landing on the planet.

Celen came home bloodied one day and felt euphoria from the battle. He was able to take down a fairly powerful thief who thought he could get past the planet’s defenses. He planned to kidnap the queen and hold her for ransom, not even considering that she was stronger than Celen. It had been a while since Celen felt the true thrill of battle, and he wanted to savor it.

The Saiyan returned home while his father was training the soldiers at the palace. His mother was among the soldiers, though she still hadn’t been by the house. He took what he could get. The woman would surely beat him if she found the alien woman in their home. His father wanted to eliminate her every day. Celen could feel it.

Tights started to move around by this point, and he found her sitting at his wooden table and writing in a notebook. He usually found her writing when he returned, and she always turned to him and smiled her thanks.

This day, though, was different.

At first, when Tights heard Celen enter, she smiled at him, but then she noticed blood staining and dripping from his clothes. Instantly, he felt rage…her rage, and that terrified him more than he cared to admit.

“I guess I know how your day went.” Her voice cut through his soul; her derision felt incredibly painful in his chest.

Celen’s hand moved to his chest as he tried to think of a response. “I…what?” was all that came out. “Huh?”

But Tights only turned away and continued to write. She wouldn’t acknowledge him or dismiss him. In the meantime, he went to shower off and change, yet when he returned she still refused to look at him.

It shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did. Celen left the room just to get away from that feeling. Then, he remembered that she was just some lowly…whatever she was, and did not matter regardless of the strike he felt. He did not have to cater to her. After all, he did his part and nursed her. It was time for him to forget about the alien for a few hours, and what better way than to head to a bar and find a partner for the night.

Unmated Saiyans didn’t really care about forming bonds, and Saiyans his age were always ready for a good fling. It was always a battle, mainly for fun and relaxation. It had nothing to do with a connection, easy to walk away.

Celen met up with some guys he trained with for years, listened to their speculations on Frieza’s visit. The tyrant was to be there within the next couple of days, and none of the Saiyans knew what the king would do. Even Celen was concerned about what would happen, but that night, as he downed the drinks, he didn’t really care.

How he ended up making out with a Saiyan woman behind the tavern, he had no clue. All he knew was that she helped to slightly distract him, but he couldn’t stop thinking of Tights fully. He kept picturing long, blonde hair as he ran his fingers through the Saiyan’s, causing him to realize he had no idea what Tights’s hair even felt like. When the woman opened hardened eyes shining with mirth as she smirked, he could only see soft, innocent, brown eyes. The Saiyan he held did not feel as soft as the skin of the alien, and it just did not feel right.

His eyes shot open when he felt an intense wave of fear and panic followed by an intense pain. He gasped as he pulled away and left a very flustered and angered woman behind as she shouted a slew of curses.

Celen raced home and stormed into his home. His father stood in the corner, arms crossed, as his mother, who had finally shown up, held Tights up by her neck. Nappa did nothing to stop Turna, even as she tossed the weak girl into a wall. Slowly, the alien got up on all fours, and her frightened eyes met Celen’s astonished orbs. His attention instantly shifted to his mother as he demanded an explanation.

“The fuck, Mom?” Celen snapped, his eyes narrowed as his tail thrashed behind him rapidly.

His mother growled and then turned to him. “You stupid little shit,” she chided. “Do you know how much trouble you’ve gotten us into with your little bitch, here? Because of you, we’re lying to the crown. I’ve never been more humiliated in my life!”

“She aided us when she did not have to.” His eyes cut to Nappa. “Or did father conveniently leave that out?”

“She came home and started tossing your toy around before I got here.”

“And what were you out doing, anyway?” Turna criticized. “Screwing around with a real Saiyan? This trash not doing it for you?”

“Shut up,” Tights huffed. She hated the derogatory way she was being spoke of. “I would never sleep with a murderer.”

The way Tights said that struck another cord inside Celen, and it just made him want to prove her wrong. “That’s enough, Mother. Leave her be. I decided to keep her alive, and I will decide what becomes of her, not you.”

“You son of a… It is our house, and your little plaything is not welcome here. Send her on her way. Jettison her into space for all I care, but you are not to keep her here. Filthy pet.”

Tights finally pulled herself up and glared at the Saiyan woman. “I am no one’s pet,” she hissed. “I don’t care who you are or what you can do to me, but I will not let you degrade me.”

Turna smirked. “What are you going to do about it, girl?”

Tights balled her hand into a fist, and Celen knew she was about to attempt to hit his mother. He got in between the two and took the weak hit. He grabbed Tights’s fist and then twisted her around, imprisoned her with an arm behind her back. He felt her slight pain but did not care as long as he could get her away from his parents. He could feel his mother’s ire through the bond and his father’s disappointment at the girl having been spared. All Celen felt was relief, and he was sure both his parents could feel it.

Tights tore away from him once he shut his bedroom door. She tossed herself on his bed. Tears of rage streamed down her face. With his hearing he could make out, “I hate you. I hate all of you. You don’t even give a shit about anyone else but yourselves.”

He could feel that she didn’t believe what she was saying was true. In fact, he felt hurt and distrust, and it was all directed at herself. It was like she believed she had betrayed herself, and Celen could not understand why she would feel that way. It resembled how he felt after he showered, disgusted with his natural instincts to kill yet pissed off that he had let her have that effect on him. “Tights…” he tried, but she shook her head and continued to cry. “Tights, look at me.”

Celen didn’t want to touch her while she was so volatile, but she wouldn’t respond. He couldn’t wait for the sobs to subside. It only got worse. Finally, he sat on the side of his bed and pulled the hysterical girl into his arms. She latched onto him which made him freeze as her arms wrapped around his neck. He had never been clung to before, and he couldn’t help but tighten his grip on her waist as she shook.

“I hate this,” Tights whispered as her whimpers started to die down. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

He knew what the ‘this’ was. “No, it wasn’t,” he agreed.

“What do we do?” the woman asked. “I hate your way of life. How could I…it makes no sense. I’ve only been here a few days. There’s no way I could—”

“Unfortunately, woman, there is,” Celen scoffed. “It’s called a bond. Only Saiyans are supposed to be able to form a bond with Saiyans. This, I don’t know what the fuck this is.”

“A bond? What’s that?”

The Saiyan sighed and shook his head. “A bond is a mental connection between family, comrades, and…” He decided to keep quiet about bonds to mates, not willing to accept that he was forming mateship bonds with a stranger after a couple days. “…It allows us the ability to sense emotions and pain, to know during battle what is happening to those with whom we fight. Because we put our trust in each other, we bonded. Plain and simple.” His eyes went to her wound dressing. “How is it today?”

Tights was irritated by the change in subject, but she answered him. “Not infected, at least,” she muttered. Her earlier anger returned. “I refuse to be your pet or anything…anything like…that, well you know!”

Celen frowned at her, annoyed that her words were contradicting his instincts. “You really only see me as a murderer.”

“How can I not when you come home covered in blood every day and attempted to kill me when I landed. You weren’t even going to question me. Had I not dropped the title, I’d be dead, and your warning wouldn’t have come. I know you plan to keep me here forever until you figure out what to do with me.”

 _How did she know?_ Celen’s mind raced. He had been planning to do just that, keep her prisoner in his home until he decided what would become of her. He couldn’t allow her to escape or be caught, and he couldn’t send her back to the Galactic Patrol. He would never let her leave.

“Just,” she huffed as she pulled away from him, “just go away. I don’t wish to see my jailor at the moment.”

“Enough!” Celen snapped. He instantly stood as he spat at her. “You owe me your life. I risked my neck for you, cleaned your wounds, fed you, and this is how you repay me. Maybe I should jettison you out into space.”

“Kill me.”

His heart nearly stopped, and his eyes softened as the roved over her. “What?”

Tights scoffed a laugh. “I said, ‘kill me’. You were going to anyway, so just do it. I’d rather be dead than let an evil man like you decide my fate. So, I’m giving you your answer. Kill me.”

He didn’t want to, which alone made him angrier. He shouldn’t feel this way over some nothing alien that had been a thorn in his side for only the week. It wasn’t fair that she fell into his lap. It wasn’t fair that his instincts and body wanted a woman who hated him.

“No,” he said after he let his body surrender. He couldn’t lift a finger to harm her. “I…I can’t.”

“Why not?” Tights goaded. “Are you not man enough to do it? Am I too lowly for a Saiyan to end my life?”

“Shut up,” he growled, then turned his back on her. He moved to his window and gripped the stone pane. “Just shut the fuck up. You don’t know—”

“Why would I want to know?” she shouted at him. Her voice cracked revealing just how truly broken she felt. She buried her head in her hands when Celen looked to her. “What am I doing? None of this is right!”

Celen had enough of this pain he was feeling, the same pain he sensed in her mind. He went to her, pulled her to him, and kissed her roughly as he had the Saiyan woman earlier. This time, he really had Tights, and he refused to let go…until she pushed him away at his chest.

The two were breathing heavily, and Tights was still crying and felt disgusted and ashamed. Celen could feel the hate and felt his soul deflate. She still hated him.

But she didn’t. He felt some strange emotion coming from her, as well as a deep self-loathing. Maybe, the hatred was directed towards herself. Celen shook his head. He was about to make a decision that would change the course of their relationship.

“Get your ship ready,” he ordered. “I won’t keep you here against your will. I’ll help you escape. Frieza will be here in two days, anyway. You can get a head start home.”

“Wh…” Tights started to say before she silenced herself. She thought for a moment, refused to directly look at Celen when she finally voiced her question. “Why would you help me?”

Celen attempted to find the words when her brown eyes cut over to him, but he was held frozen as if this woman had some kind of power over him. “I…because it’s the right thing to do,” he offered, saying something similar to the reason she came to warn them.

Tights’s expression softened as she took in Celen’s rigid posture and realized that what he was doing was confusingly out of character for him, yet he was doing it for her. “I don’t…I don’t understand.”

“To be honest, I don’t either,” Celen admitted with a sigh. “Most likely, my parents’ll give me a good hammering, but I truthfully don’t care…and that is a first for me.”

Tights moved to him and placed an innocent kiss on Celen’s cheek. The Saiyan tensed, not knowing what to do or say as she pulled away and looked at him with thankful, kind eyes and not hatred. “You don’t have to do this, so I thank you,” Tights murmured. “I don’t know how I could ever thank you.”

“Come back, one day,” Celen said beside himself. He didn’t know what caused the words to enter his thoughts let alone leave his mouth. His lips pursed shut, and his demeanor darkened as if he was berating himself for his words.

Tights was astonished by the demand. She didn’t think she could ever return to this horrible place. For some reason, though, her consciousness was already agreeing, for she pictured seeing Celen again, this time as allies…maybe. “Maybe…”

Celen chuckled wryly, knowing that was probably as good as he was going to get. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

* * *

_“Celen got Tights to the ship bay covered up, helped her escape in secret. The footage from the cameras showed him holding onto her hand just a moment longer, and I had been the one alerted to it. I killed the Saiyan that found it and destroyed the footage. Your grandmother knows that, as does Vegeta, but your grandfather doesn’t, so keep that between us.” Trunks nodded._

_“Anyway, Frieza did show up days later, and the king managed to convince him to give us at least six years to train our troops so that even the third-classes were up to his standards. Frieza pondered it and agreed. We wondered if he truly did accept it or if he’d destroy our world as he left, but he left it untouched. During the six years, my son left us. Tights had made an impact on him, and it became nearly impossible to complete his task force duties. The king found footage of Celen taking out strong, criminal aliens yet he let the innocents leave in peace. He was brought in, interviewed, and when the king asked him what he had been thinking going against orders, he could only say ‘I don’t know’._

_“Thankfully, Turna and I held weight with the royal family, so Celen was just stripped of his duties and demoted to third-class from first. My mate and I were disgraced, but we continued to serve the king well and never lost our favor. Celen, though…he ran away afterwards and never returned home. Instead, he used what was left of his money to buy his own ship and fled. When he one day did return to Vegeta, two and a half years later, he was mated to the alien. Turna attempted to kill her, but Celen fought for Tights and was surprisingly even stronger than before he left.”_

_“You said it was a crime back then to be mated to an alien, right? Then how did Celen not get arrested?”_

_Nappa chuckled and wore a fond smile. “He was such a moron. He told the Saiyans on the task force that he studied somewhere to be a doctor and that the alien woman was his assistant. They let him come and go with her as he pleased as long as she was accompanied by him. The two of them got a home in the outskirts.”_

_“Did you ever visit them?”_

_Nappa again became tense as he looked Trunks in the eye._

* * *

Tights spent the day preparing a large meal considering Celen’s father was coming. It surprised the couple when the general said he wanted to get to know the woman his son was mated to. Celen didn’t trust his father, the bond between them broken months earlier. Turna, unfortunately, didn’t care about their broken bond. Celen never spoke to her again, but he felt guilty about it for Turna died on one of the missions Frieza demanded her squad take.

The woman understood that Nappa was most likely trying to salvage his connection to his son, especially with his mate gone. She couldn’t imagine how lonely the man must feel, so she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. It startled her, though, when he came early, before Celen returned home from treating one of his Saiyan patients.

“We need to talk.”

Tights paused in her cooking and turned to face the stern Saiyan general. She set aside the food and motioned to the table where the two sat. Nappa looked angry and confused. “Why?”

“Pardon?” her airy voice spoke.

“Why did you mate with my son?”

Tights’s expression softened as she took in the man’s hunched posture. She saw him warring with himself the same way Celen had when he helped her escape. “To be honest…I can’t explain it,” she admitted. “I will tell you, but only because I know you need answers. When I first came, your son and I felt this overwhelming pull that I now know is the bond. I hated myself for feeling any kind of connection to a man I saw as a murderer, because it made me question my own beliefs. I only went off of what I had heard about the Saiyans but seeing him struggle as he helped me escape…it just pulled me closer.

“I returned home, and my father was very angry that I got involved with a budding intergalactic war. He became strict with my studies. After all, I was his only child. Now, he’s gotten a little bit softer, for my mother will be having a daughter in a few months.”

“On topic,” Nappa demanded with narrowed eyes.

Tights waved off her embarrassment. “Sorry, sorry. I get distracted sometimes…get that from my mom. Heh heh.” Her demeanor became serious again. “I snuck away a little over a year ago to reconvene with the Galactic Patrol. I couldn’t just sit around on my planet and pretend nothing was happening in the universe like my father. He continued to keep the government in the dark about alien life. Our people are blissfully unaware of the conflict out here.

“When I returned to space, I was so happy because I ran into the same patrolman who rescued me. He escaped Frieza’s henchmen. Unfortunately, he informed me that multiple planets were purged by Frieza’s men, and those not willing to make deals with him or who no longer served their purpose were eliminated. It hit me so hard, and I was afraid Planet Vegeta could have been destroyed.

“I ran away from Jaco and directly to the planet database to look up Planet Vegeta’s status and felt such relief when I saw it was still there. I was surprised when I heard Celen call out for me. I didn’t expect to see him with Galactic Patrol. I found out that he changed, that he had helped innocents and lost his credibility and status here. I knew it was because of me.”

Nappa glared at her; he agreed with her statement. “What was he doing there?”

“Saving people,” Tights replied with a fond smile. “He had decided to help Galactic Patrol fight, gather intel, and even treat the wounded members. Eventually, he truly became more of a doctor, and I returned to my hacking duties. I know you would all count this as treason, but we are only doing this because Celen is truly afraid that Frieza will strike. Frieza is…nervous…about the Saiyan ability to grow stronger every time they almost die. There’s something else we found out this week, and Celen, when he’s done with his patient, is going to quickly meet an operative who snuck on the planet to get confirmation. Frieza will return in a few weeks. He knows of the prince.”

Nappa’s mouth dropped open, and he wondered how Celen or Tights would have found out. They had not been on Planet Vegeta in years, and only the Saiyans active in the palace knew of the prince. When Kalina gave birth, all the Saiyans pledged that they would never inform Frieza of the child’s existence. If these two knew, they had to have heard it somewhere, and the only option was that Frieza sent a spy and the Galactic Patrol truly did have information. “Does he know of the prince’s skills?”

“We don’t know,” Tights admitted. “That’s what Celen is trying to figure out. He hopes to get the information to give to you tonight to warn the king and queen. We wanted to do this before we left.”

“Where are you going?” Nappa asked in shock. This woman couldn’t just drop this bomb on him and expect him to not focus on it.

“To my planet,” Tights admitted, feeling Nappa’s ire and being shocked by the thought. She tried to reassure him with her own emotions, and his stunned expression showed her that it worked. A smile appeared on her face. “Not forever, don’t worry. Celen and I decided that it would be best to not be on the planet with Frieza here. There is no doubt he will recognize me if he sees me from my description by the soldiers years ago, and Celen does not want to see Frieza knowing that he might try to force him into a mission for his avoidance the last few years. My sister is to be born soon, and I wanted to be there for her birth. Celen has not met my parents yet, so I’m hoping they will have time to get to know him before the baby comes.”

“Do your parents know you are mated?”

Tights nodded. “My father does. Every time I tried to introduce Celen to them in the past, he denied it, but he can’t fight me on this, now.”

“Will you or my son ever tell me that planet you are from?”

Her expression fell. “No,” Tights admitted. “My people are weak, and they are ill-prepared against everything out here. As a whole, we know hardly anything about alien life, and that’s how it’s going to stay, at least until things begin to change.”

“I don’t like it,” Nappa scoffed, “but I understand. I’m surprised you were so honest with me, and also that you seemed to bond with me in the span of a few minutes.”

“I understand what you’re going through,” Tights admitted. “My father’s father lost his wife and was a mess, and he has no relationship with my father. He was very critical and pushed him away when he had me, for he and mother had me before they were married. The man was very old-fashioned.”

Nappa heard those words before. A lot of races had specific names for the man and woman counterparts of a mated pair, and husband and wife were becoming the more prevalent terms. “Hm,” Nappa grunted, not liking that the woman brought up his mate.

“I know that if it were my child,” Tights continued, “if we ever had a misunderstanding or fallout, I’d want to still have that connection, especially if I ever lost Celen. He or she would be my only connection to him.”

Nappa nodded curtly, feeling a bit of respect for the alien, a respect he had never felt towards any outsider. “If Frieza really does know about Prince Vegeta, if he finds out how strong and strategic the boy is, we’ll all be fucked,” Nappa told her feeling overwhelmingly angry. “If he learns his progress, there will be nothing stopping him from taking him.”

Tights knew what Nappa was saying. “I promise, I won’t say anything,” she assured him, “not to anyone. The only problem will be if our contact is correct in his assumption. If another soldier already told Frieza, unfortunately something will need to be done.”

“The prince is almost three,” Nappa stated, ignoring her remark. “If Frieza does know about him, he still isn’t old enough to join his barracks. He has to be at least…shit.”

“What?”

Nappa’s expression became sullen and grim. “If Frieza wants Vegeta, then he’ll leave the planet intact. Where it’s normal for weak babies to be sent to other planets for purges, it is unheard of for the prince to do the same, not until he reaches elite status. It was just predicted today that he will reach that by his sixth birthday.”

Tights hand moved over her heart. “Six? There’s no way. He’d still only be a child.”

Nappa nodded. “He’s progressing faster than any Saiyan child we have ever seen, and it was predicted that he could reach the legendary status as well during his lifetime. Frieza…he’ll take him then.”

“Maybe…maybe we can take him down before then,” Tights offered, her optimism shining through. “If you are all willing to ally with the Galactic Patrol, new planets are joining every day. We can work together to—”

“No, girl,” Nappa admonished. “No amount of allying will defeat Frieza. I can assure you of that.”

Of course, Tights did not believe him, and Nappa would later find the irony in his statement, for one day, Frieza would fall, and it would be to the strongest alliance the universe had ever seen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

_“At the age of three,” Vegeta stated, “I don’t remember much other than training. I rarely ever saw my mother, mainly trained with my father, Nappa, and the army. My power was growing exponentially. It garnered Frieza’s attention, as Nappa told you.”_

_Trunks listened intently, but Vegeta noticed him frown when he mentioned not really interacting with his mother. “It was how it was back then, Trunks. Many Saiyans did not know their mothers. Celen was the exception. On the other end of the spectrum, Raditz and Kakarot never knew their mother. Raditz only knew his father’s connection with the woman was strong, and that this bastard who worked for Frieza murdered her after Kakarot’s birth. He made subtle jabs to Raditz about his mother before he killed her.”_

_“If the Saiyans valued loyalty so much, why didn’t they care about their families then like we do now?” the boy asked, and Vegeta had to remind himself that his son was fairly innocent thanks to both him and Bulma. They hadn’t sheltered the child, but they made sure he knew he was loved._

_Vegeta sighed. “To be honest, boy, no one cared, or at least they pretended not to. If anyone were to expose a weakness like a mate or children, they would be used against them. In fact, that was exactly what happened with Cold, and I almost lost you and your mother.”_

_“But you didn’t leave us to fend for ourselves after,” Trunks pointed out. “Pretending…it doesn’t make sense to me.”_

_The older prince could understand the boy’s confusion. He honestly never knew why, either. As he grew older, he just listened to everything his father had to say, and he believed every word._

* * *

Over the last three years from Tights’s warning, it was obvious Frieza truly did know of the prince. The planet was in a panic, but operations ran as normal. Nappa still continued to train the army, meetings still resumed, and Prince Vegeta continued to train and gain strength at an alarming rate. With his current progress, he would definitely be as strong as the elites soon, and Frieza would take him away from the planet.

Unfortunately, King Vegeta was forced into an agreement that he did not even inform his wife about. Only Nappa and the queen’s brother, Zorn, knew about the deal, for Zorn overheard and went straight to Nappa. Nappa wanted to tell his friend. She helped him through his grief over the lost bond with Turna. Truthfully, Kalina was the one to encourage him to work things out with his son. His friend was the reason he made attempts to visit his son.

Days after Celen and his female assistant left the planet, Frieza came and demanded a private audience with the Saiyan king after a large feast. The Arcosian prince held this commanding aura that the Saiyan hated. “So,” the sickening voice reached his ears. “I hear you have a son. I was surprised not to be informed of such a major event. I’m a bit insulted.”

“Forgive me, Lord Frieza,” the king returned. “In our culture, the royal firstborn is not introduced to the public until he reaches elite status.” It was a lie, but it was something Frieza could easily buy.

“Tsk,” Frieza murmured, “such a strange custom, but you monkeys have your weird ways. I guess I just need to accept them. However, now that I know of the boy’s existence, I’d like to arrange him joining our barracks. From what my source explained, he is a strong child, a protégé. I wish to train him myself and mold him into the perfect soldier.”

King Vegeta did not like what he heard. For Frieza to even think about training his boy, an activity that was usually between father and son, did not sit well with him. “Unfortunately, he is too young, and he is not active even in our military. I would like more time to train him, for I can’t even announce him to my people until he reaches elite status. He won’t reach that level until his ten—”

“His sixth birthday,” Frieza finished, correcting the king. At the horrified expression of the Saiyan, Frieza snickered. “Yes, I know all of that. I will be back then to retrieve him.”

“What if I refuse?”

An amused smirk appeared on the tyrant’s face. “Then my source was correct,” he pondered. “I was told you would try to lie to me. I know you lied about your customs, and I know when your heir will reach elite status. I was choosing to simply humor you. I could take him now and destroy your world, or you can get down on your knees and apologize and we can make an actual agreement.”

The king’s heart went numb. Who betrayed them to the monster? It could only be an elite Saiyan, but who would want to sell the soul of Planet Vegeta to this vile creature? There were few who knew of his son’s existence, and he already knew two Saiyans who would have never gone to Frieza. Nappa and Zorn would never betray Kalina’s trust even if they ever had a problem with him. He tried going through a list of names, but he had yet to answer Frieza’s unspoken question.

Would he fight or would he surrender?

If he tried to fight back, Frieza would simply take what he wanted and destroy the planet. He would take his son and destroy him, turn him into a deranged version of himself. The king could see that desire in Frieza’s eyes. Why he wanted his son, the king had no idea, but Frieza wanted him. If he surrendered to Frieza’s bidding, he would forsake his pride, but his people would be safe. Even if his son left with him, he could convince Frieza to let the boy return to his planet once a year for political training. He had to try, at least, for his people and for his son.

“I apologize, Lord Frieza,” King Vegeta said through gritted teeth, “for misleading you. I hope that the two of us can come to a mutually beneficial agreement.”

The Arcosian grinned, a sadistic glint in his eyes that the Saiyan king had not noticed before. “Of course, Vegeta,” he replied, his voice full of mirth. “I would have it no other way. Every deal I make is to benefit both parties, after all. We must learn to trust one another. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes,” the king spoke, his voice tight with fear. The way Frieza spoke made him feel nervous, and he couldn’t understand why.

“So, let us work out this arrangement,” Frieza ordered. “I wish to see how powerful your son is. If I deem him trained enough, I would like him to return to me to my ship and begin his life as a soldier right away.”

“Lord Frieza…please, allow me to have him trained a few more years. I will have detailed reports sent to you on his progress. It is true that he will be at elite status by his sixth year and better prepared for your service. I request that Vegeta return once a year to immerse himself in the study of our politics for a couple of weeks. Would that arrangement be acceptable to you?”

Frieza pondered it, though the king could have never guessed Frieza was doing the math in his head. His original plan was to destroy the planet once he received the prince, but this way he could keep the monkey soldiers a bit longer. He would still have their squads to complete PTO missions for the three years and the young prince would be on his way to being a merciless killer. Then, he would have a year of consensual service as they waited for the prince to return and study. That would be when Planet Vegeta would fall. The prince would never return to his home. The least Frieza could give him was three more years of security before he took it all away.

“That condition is acceptable,” he told the king. “You have three years to prepare the boy for my army. Until then, I expect frequent reports. I will take my leave…for now.”

The tone he used to say the last two words chilled King Vegeta, and it felt like ice flowed through his veins; Frieza certainly lived up to his name. “I thank you, my lord,” King Vegeta stated before he led Frieza out. The king watched the Arcosian leave, and when he knew Frieza was far away he fled to his own personal training room. No one heard him scream every name in the book, nor did they find him until a few days later when he was a bloody pulp heading the medical staff. Until the prince was sent away, no one knew, not even the queen, what deal was made with the Arcosian tyrant.

* * *

_Vegeta stopped speaking for a while after he finished telling Trunks the truth he had finally been willing to hear from his own father. Though King Vegeta somewhat explained years before, Vegeta had not questioned him further. It took Trunks turning three for the prince to finally need answers. He couldn’t imagine trading his child. He would have found another way._

_And then his father told him what exactly Frieza planned to do._

_The older prince was no fool. He knew Frieza to be a taker. He wouldn’t have flinched on his threat, and Vegeta could have ended up living with the bastard from the age of three for the rest of his life. Where he still resented his father for sending him with the monster, he was starting come to terms with the impossible circumstance. It made it no easier for him to accept._

_Now that Trunks was six and interested in learning about his father’s past, Vegeta wasn’t sure how much he wanted the boy to know. There was a little voice in the back of his head telling him to keep it as vague as possible, but there was another part that wanted his son to understand the horrors and hardships he faced. Trunks would live in peace and would hopefully never have to deal with any of this, but with Cooler still out there and many more unknown entities, Trunks needed incentive to train, to be strong enough not to be a slave._

_Vegeta didn’t realize that his silence and inner turmoil alerted his son. He tensed and gasped when he felt tiny arms around his waist. Years ago, he would have panicked and murdered whoever grabbed him unexpectedly, but all he could do was look down and see his son stare up at him with angry, tear-stricken eyes. “I’m sorry.”_

_His father couldn’t contain his shock. “For what, boy?”_

_“I’m sorry Grandpa made that deal. It wasn’t fair. There had to be another way.”_

_Vegeta’s coldness shattered; his demeanor softened as he picked the boy up and set him on his lap. Trunks was a bit taken aback by the unusually open gesture from his carefully guarded father. “There was nothing he could do,” Vegeta admitted. “Even if I resented your grandfather for making that decision, I was more torn apart by the lack of faith he had in me.”_

_Trunks’s eyes narrowed. “Dad, what do you mean?”_

* * *

By age six, Prince Vegeta reached elite status, and his power still continued to grow. As the king bred him to do the last few years, the boy only desired to train and fight.

One day, Nappa, along with some other Saiyans, watched the prince as he fought against the Saibamen—living, semi-sentient beings that were grown for the sole purpose of training to kill and purge. Vegeta was becoming a cold-hearted warrior.

It was after training that Vegeta reconvened with his father, though he ran into Celen on the way there. The young prince cast a glare to the third-class disgrace who looked upon him with pity. Vegeta could not understand what was to happen to him or why the general’s son looked down on him in that way.

Vegeta didn’t learn until much later that Celen was there to inform his father of Frieza’s plots. It was part of the reason Nappa later agreed to board the ship.

The prince reported to his father, informed the man that he eliminated seven Saibamen, all with the power of a lower elite, with one blast. Little Vegeta was proud of himself. His father was also proud, but he was horrified because Vegeta’s maneuver would make it into Frieza’s report. It was bad enough the lizard would come soon to take his son away, but now Vegeta was capable of taking on lower-tiered missions. Soon enough, he would be able to take purging missions on planets with strong, sentient life. His son would never be prepared for it, no matter what kind of training they did.

He didn’t have much time left with his son. The king needed to warn Vegeta in some way. He knew his son hated Frieza, as did all the other Saiyans, and he didn’t have it in him to tell Vegeta what was to happen. “Son, come with me.”

Little Vegeta looked at his father, skepticism reflected in his eyes. The child could feel his father’s wariness and could not understand it at all. He shrugged and crossed his arms, then followed the man to the other side of the palace. From there, they could see the pods which contained young, Saiyan newborns that were deployed to other planets.

“Vegeta,” his father started, his voice stern and heavy, “one day, you will be the strongest in the universe.” The young prince nearly beamed at the uncharacteristic compliment, his mind basked in the praise. His father looked out at the pods, and Vegeta followed suit. “Those ships are being deployed to other galaxies. The weakest of our people are sent to planets far away where there is no threat from our enemies.”

The prince smirked, his arms still crossed. “Hn, goodbye pests,” he jeered.

He sensed his father hesitate in what he was about to say next and faced him, his eyes softened innocently as he regarded the man he respected. “Vegeta…” King Vegeta’s voice wavered. He then faced his son, finally ready to give him the hope he needed to survive the future. “You come from a strong bloodline and you possess the potential to join the super elite of all Saiyans. Never forget where you come from and train very hard, my son, because, if you have proven yourself worthy, perhaps someday you will become a Super Saiyan.”

The young prince could barely contain the joy he felt at his father’s words. It was clear that the king had the utmost faith in him. For a Saiyan, that was the biggest honor they could receive from a parent. Vegeta had never been happier through any of the years beforehand. “I will, father. I will reach the legendary status and make you proud.”

King Vegeta said nothing but placed his hand atop his boy’s head. “My son, we must discuss some things.”

Instantly, Vegeta’s stomach dropped and a feeling of dread, his father’s dread, washed over him. “About?”

The king led Vegeta over to a wall where they both sat. “You will be leaving the planet for the next few years or more on a very important mission.”

At that, the little prince perked up. Was his father really about to give him an assignment? He had dreamt of this day for years, wanting to serve his father and his people. “What is the mission?” he asked as stoically as a six-year-old could. It was difficult for him to contain his excitement. His father’s next words, though, turned Vegeta’s joy real quick.

“Frieza will be coming to retrieve you tomorrow. You will be joining his army for that time.”

 _No,_ the prince thought to himself. Hatred flooded his system. Frieza was the jerk who belittled their race every chance he got. “I refuse.”

The king sighed. “That is not an option, Vegeta,” he responded. “The terms of the deal have already been negotiated. You must stay strong.”

Vegeta regarded his father, his eyes and emotions conveyed hurt. “You must promise me something, son.”

“What?” the child asked, slightly awed that his father was asking him to promise him anything. Whatever he asked, Vegeta would do. He vowed that to himself, and he would vow it to his father.

“You must prepare yourself. Never show fear and always hold onto your pride as a Saiyan. And Vegeta, you must never, _ever_ let Frieza know you cared about anyone or anything. It is nothing but a sign of weakness. These things, you must promise me.”

Vegeta stood up, his confidence stroked enough to begin his mental preparation. His smirk said what his voice conveyed to the king.

“I swear on my honor that I will never let Frieza see any weakness in me. I will never let that lizard control me.”

* * *

_“Uh, Dad, you’re squeezing me a little too tight.”_

_Vegeta, jolted out of his memory, looked down at his son on his lap. His eyes hardened, yet Trunks could sense a lot of confusing emotions from his father that he could not understand at his age. He blinked at Vegeta who simply set him down. The young boy was surprised that Vegeta started to walk away. “Dad?”_

_“That is enough for today,” Vegeta told him, his voice cold and calculating._

_“But Dad, what’s up? Why are you—”_

_“Ask Nappa about what happened next. We will discuss more later in the week. I…I need…”_

_“Okay,” Trunks responded, and his father could feel his sadness and, strangely enough, sympathy. The prince was startled by the latter emotion and frowned. There was no way Trunks could relate to his younger self. He had been so careful to make sure Trunks only ever felt pride in himself and love. He and Bulma had both been sure of that. How could he feel sympathy? “Dad?”_

_The prince stopped walking but did not facing the child. “What?”_

_“You are the strongest,” he said, and Vegeta felt a pang of wonder from his father’s mind, “and you are braver than any Saiyan I know to have faced that.” His father turned to see the boy smiling brightly at him, just like Bulma. He could feel sadness, but also the pride Trunks had for him, meaning that, like his mother, Trunks empathized and felt sorrowful that Vegeta was forced to endure what he had, but not pity. “I’m proud to be your son.”_

_“Heh,” Vegeta chuckled. “Trunks, I am proud to call you my son.”_

* * *

Celen went to Nappa after the prince left and saw his father shaking his head. “He has gotten stronger,” he stated, his voice hollow. “Frieza will be here tomorrow.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, kid.”

“Frieza will destroy the planet once he is forced to return by the king’s condition,” Celen stated, earning his father’s undivided attention. “Tights overheard a conversation between Frieza and his second when they stopped off at another planet.”

Nappa scoffed. “Am I to believe that woman?” the general asked, though he only said that to save face. He had somewhat bonded with his son’s mate, and therefore he knew his son wasn’t lying. Tights was definitely a trustworthy source.

Celen nodded. “We were on a mission to gather intel on the race inhabiting the planet, for they have been working for Frieza for some time. We had no idea the frost demon himself would touch down on the planet.”

“Frost demon?” Nappa jeered. “What kind of names do the Galactic Patrol give that bastard?”

“Father, listen,” Celen huffed. “The prince is in danger. You are all in danger.”

“I’ve heard enough,” Nappa snapped, his rage and disbelief consumed him. “You cannot keep waltzing in here with your treasonous information and expect me to just reveal it to the king. Do you have any idea what kind of position that puts me in?”

“Father, we only wish to he—”

But Nappa was done listening as he grabbed his son by the neck and held him to the wall. His son gasped for air, in shock as he looked down at his father. Nappa was certain that if the bond still existed, he would feel the boy’s hurt and fear. His grip slackened at the thought, and Celen managed to speak again. “Don’t,” he pleaded somewhat, but he did not sound fearful. “Tights is pregnant.”

Nappa fully released his son; the youth dropped down to the ground as he caught his breath. The general only looked to his hand, stunned by his own reactions to what his son was saying. Celen coughed a few more times before he abruptly stood up and glowered at his father. “As I said, I only came to inform you about the prince, and I also hoped to inform you about Tights’s condition.”

“How long?” Nappa asked.

“About two to three months,” Celen relayed. “In about six months, her planet is having a holiday. By that time, she will be due. We’ll be going there before the birth. She prefers to be around her family for the birth, so that the boy will not be a citizen of Planet Vegeta. I can hardly blame her for not wanting her child to be sent away and become a murderer.”

“Listen to yourself, Celen,” Nappa scoffed. “Is that her words or your own? You never had a problem with how we ran things before.”

Celen stood up and confidently faced his father. “That’s because I never knew anything different,” he explained. “Tights made me question our way of life, yes. I couldn’t stand the fact that our connection had her hating herself. I couldn’t stand feeling the shame. I chose to kill only when needed, the reason I lost my job and title. I didn’t care. All it told me was that I needed to choose my own path, and so I left. I ended up running into the patrolman that saved Tights and explained to him who I was. He was reluctant to trust a Saiyan, but we fought together to get off the planet we met on. Though he was hesitant, he brought me with him to the base.”

“You should have returned with that information.”

“Why, exactly? So the king could inform Frieza and he could wipe them out? No, I couldn’t, father. Instead, I began fighting with them, assisting them in their covert ops missions. I knew Tights returned home like I told her to, but I at least had to honor her commitment with the Galactic Patrol.”

“Why?” Nappa snapped harshly.

“Because she completed me!” his son shouted, causing them both to fall silent.

Nappa’s eyes hardened as his son said those words, those completely Saiyan words that were only reserved for the Saiyan people and their chosen mates. “What?” his cold voice questioned.

Celen was undeterred. “She completed me. I never even tried to think on what I was doing, or why others deemed it wrong. To me, everyone else was wrong and we were right. Then one day this woman, weak as dirt, walks into my life and has me questioning everything and who I am.”

“That’s not completion. That’s—”

“The start,” Celen countered, his eyes told his father not to interrupt him again. “A choice was placed in front of me, and that was either to accept that the Saiyans were right and everyone else was wrong, or to take a hard look at myself and my actions. I loved battle, father. I won’t lie. I loved the feeling of testing my strength and coming home covered in blood. Then she looked at me with distrust and contempt, and I questioned everything. I felt shame for my actions and never quite understood why until I saw her again.

“She hadn’t changed at all, and her first instinct was to run to the computer and make sure our planet was okay, to make sure _I_ was okay. When she saw me, I didn’t expect her to run up to me and embrace me. She was so upset by the thought of losing me, and to be honest my thoughts had drifted to her as well. I chose to become a doctor, to heal others wounded in battle. Honestly, the other patrolmen couldn’t handle the sight or feeling of blood like I could. I still go out into the field and fight when needed, but I prefer saving lives to taking them. And it’s not because of her. It’s because when I was given the choice, I realized that I felt empty just senselessly killing whatever came by our world. I had wanted to join Frieza’s army to prove that Saiyans were worthy and strong and not monkeys. That wasn’t a good enough reason, I guess. I’m sorry that I dishonored you and mother. I’m sorry that mother couldn’t accept that I took an alien for a mate, but I love her, father.”

“Love?” Nappa scoffed. “Taking on alien vocabulary, huh? What does that even mean?”

“It means I would do anything for her, including leave Planet Vegeta altogether if she didn’t like it here,” Celen stated, his father shocked. “If she decided one day that she wanted to reside on her planet, I would gladly give up everything.”

“Would she do that for you?” Nappa nearly shouted. “Honestly, Celen. Your son will never know his heritage if she has it her way. She doesn’t want the boy to receive any glory.”

“What glory would he have here?” Celen retorted, silencing his father. “He is only half-Saiyan. I mated an alien, father. I committed a crime against your laws.”

“Our laws,” Nappa corrected.

“Your laws,” Celen said, his voice softer. He sighed and shook his head. “I gave up being a true Saiyan a long time ago. I relinquished my pride for her, and she accepted it all. I always prided myself in being a Saiyan, and I will never forget that I am, but I can’t be a Saiyan like we are now. Our people shouldn’t have betrayed their alliance with the Tuffles.”

“You’re a fool,” Nappa growled. “What is with the Galactic Patrol and making alliances? Tights even mentioned joining in the alliance. We would be signing our death warrants. Frieza would definitely destroy the planet then.”

“You will never see the importance of an alliance until you make one,” Celen predicted. “You don’t know what strength can lie in numbers. Even if other races are weaker than us, they have abilities that are necessary. If we all banned together, we could destroy the Colds.”

Nappa looked at his son like he had two-heads and no tail. “You’re delusional!” he exclaimed. “How could you even say such a thing? The Saiyans fight alone. That’s how it always has been and how it always will be.”

Celen scoffed and shook his head before walked to the door. His head turned back to view his father. “And how is that working out for you?” Then he left to return home to his mate and unborn child.

* * *

_“Why wouldn’t you listen to him?” Trunks questioned, feeling bad for the father. “It seemed like you wanted to.”_

_“I did, but it went against everything we believed in as Saiyans,” Nappa explained. “We can all agree that Celen and Tights were right, now that we experienced it, but before then no one would have wanted to hear it. I would have been demoted if I suggested to the king we forge alliances. Celen would have been killed for treason if I had told the king he joined the Galactic Patrol or even married an alien. To be honest, Celen was right. The days of being a Saiyan for him were long over, but he still cared what happened to us, and that was the only reason he stuck around which ultimately ended in his death.”_

_Trunks grew quiet for a while to let everything sink in. Then he said, “But you said you told Grandma and my dad about Tights…without her name of course, but you told them about Celen too.”_

_“I never told them that he mated with her or sired a child. Now, it wouldn’t matter if I did, but I just can’t talk about it.”_

_“Why?”_

_“I have to tell you the story as much in order as possible to prepare you for what your father will say to you. He can never talk about his first day with Frieza. The only person he ever conveyed it to was your mother, most likely.”_

_“Why?”_

_Nappa chuckled weakly at the boy’s curiosity. “Because he entered hell.”_

* * *

Nappa couldn’t take the guilt anymore. He needed someone to confide in after seeing his son earlier. He nearly strangled him to death, and Nappa knew it was because he felt betrayed. After reflecting on his son’s words, Nappa knew Celen was right, from a certain point of view. He could not fault his son for becoming his own man. Even though he had, Celen still wanted to save Planet Vegeta from Frieza. Truthfully, for his and Tights’s own safety, she should have never returned to him and Turna.

He went to the only place he knew he could speak freely. He and Kalina grew up together, and she never betrayed him. He went to her after Turna lost her life. Nappa knew the truth of her death. Turna went on a mission with Frieza’s men, and once the population was wiped out, Frieza had the gall to say that his mate turned on his troops when in actuality they killed her for the hell of it. Nappa couldn’t get over it, and he and his son had long since spoken about the woman. Kalina helped him through the grief of losing his mate, and she would have to help him process the guilt he held towards his son.

Of course, he found her in her room, sobbing hysterically. Nappa froze at the door. For all the years he had known Kalina, she had never once cried, not even when Zorn broke both her legs in a fight. She was the toughest woman he knew, and yet she was blubbering alone in her room away from prying eyes. Nappa entered the room, closed the door, then moved to the woman and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Queen Kalina,” he tried, but she would not respond. “Kalina.” Still nothing. “Kali, look at me.”

Kalina jumped at the sound of her childhood nickname and saw Nappa standing over her. She hesitated, not expecting to be found like this. “Nappa,” she called out weakly. “W-what are you doing here?”

“I needed to talk to you about something, but it can wait,” he stated. “What’s wrong? Did Vegeta do something to piss you off?”

Once again, Kalina’s eyes watered and she looked away to hide her shame behind her hands. Nappa realized he hit the nail on the head and sighed. He sat down on the bed beside her and kept his hand on her back as he waited for her to calm down and explain. Kalina’s sobs eventually subsided, and she told Nappa what he already had known was going to happen.

“Vegeta let him take our son,” Kalina informed him. “I didn’t know. He never told me. I never even got to say goodbye!”

It pained Nappa to feel the queen’s emotions, for she was always calm and collected. What he felt was tearing his own mind apart, so he couldn’t even imagine Kalina’s pain. He was reminded about Tights and what she told him about a child. She hadn’t been pregnant then, but she spoke so freely about always wanting a bond with her child just because the kid would always keep her connected to Celen. “The bond is broken,” Kalina weakly stated, which shocked Nappa. “I don’t know what that monster is doing to him, but I felt pain earlier and then the feeling of being betrayed. I lost my connection with my son, and so did my mate. We don’t even know if our boy is even alive.”

“Kalina,” Nappa responded, his eyes determined. “I will request to join Frieza’s barracks. I will find out if Vegeta is alive. If he isn’t, I will find a way to contact you. I need you, in return, to do something for me.”

Kalina was so shocked at what Nappa offered, but she knew he had a condition. For her son, though, she would give just about anything. “What?”

“The reason I knew of what Frieza was plotting was because I was getting outside information,” he explained. “Celen,” he breathed out the name, “he fled and joined the Galactic Patrol, using their intel to inform me of Frieza’s deals, the planets he’s destroyed, and the fact that Frieza knew of your son. I…I know what he did is wrong in our eyes, but he only wished to protect Planet Vegeta. Still, if he and his assistant are ever found out, I need you to promise me that you will tell no one and that, even if they are arrested for treason, you will not let the king execute them.”

Kalina was astonished by the admission and realized that Nappa was putting a lot of trust in her. Her duty would be to go to her mate, but her bond of comradery with Nappa made her think otherwise. She couldn’t betray her friend, especially when he was offering to board Frieza’s ship and trap himself in his service to protect her son. “On my honor, my mate will never find out about your son or his assistant. The fact that they were trying to warn us has already won my respect.”

“If Celen comes by, please tell him what I chose to do,” Nappa asked. “He will never agree with it but tell him that his father didn’t join to become a full-time purger. Tell him that I went to protect the prince, because it was the right thing to do.”

“I will tell him exactly that,” Kalina agreed. “I don’t know how to thank you, my friend.”

“You’re doing enough,” Nappa replied as he left the room. After that, he went to the ship bay and found an unoccupied pod. He took off for space to catch up with Frieza’s ship. He knew Frieza might see it as an act of war, but he made sure, when the voices of his alien troops came over his speaker, to surrender. After that, he would be face to face with the frost demon himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

When Nappa was granted passage onto Frieza’s vessel, he was escorted to the tyrant immediately. Frieza did not looked pleased that the Saiyan general was there, his second- and third-in-command stood right beside him. The general remained on-guard, though he felt a small twinge of panic when he saw a dried pool of blood in the middle of Frieza’s throne room. It smelled distinctly of the prince, and Nappa’s heart hammered in his chest. He was thankful that not all races were blessed with excellent hearing.

“General Nappa,” Frieza sneered, “to what do we owe the pleasure of this impromptu boarding?”

Nappa knelt down before the lizard for show and sucked in all of his pride for the sake of the prince. “Lord Frieza, I request to join your barracks and watch over the prince, to train him and prepare him for higher level missions.”

Frieza glared at the general skeptically, his lip curled back slightly into a frown. “That was not a part of King Vegeta’s and my agreement,” he growled. “Did he send you?”

“No, my lord,” Nappa replied. “I came on my own volition, and the king has no idea that I am here.”

“Hm. Dodoria, go and contact the king. See if what the general says is true. I highly doubt those monkeys would send their combat leader to join us alone. I need to know if the king plans to go back on the agreement.”

“I assure you, he is not,” Nappa said quickly as panic set in. “I only wish to continue Vegeta’s training. No matter how many semi-sentient lifeforms he has killed, he is still just a child and so I need to be there for his mental training as well as physical.”

Frieza seemed to give it more thought, but still waved Dodoria off to get information from the Saiyan king. “Now, Nappa, am I to believe that you would give up you position on Planet Vegeta just to train the prince? Isn’t abandoning your post seen as dishonorable?”

“What is more honorable than training the heir of my king?” Nappa countered.

“Hm, fair enough. You would do well to teach the child manners, though. He is very defiant at such a young age.”

That made Nappa’s blood run cold. “Forgive me, my lord, but where exactly is Prince Vegeta?”

Frieza chuckled slightly. “I’m sure you already realized that he was punished for his insolence,” he jeered. “He refused to bow to me and accept that he is now my pet, so I gave him a proper thrashing. He still refused to accept that he was a soldier and no longer a prince, so Zarbon brought him to the dungeon. He’s been in isolation for the past day.”

“What?” Nappa nearly squeaked out. Vegeta was just a boy, and isolation was probably the worst form of Saiyan torture second to electrocution. The former general’s expression darkened as he said, “Lord Frieza, forgive me, but Vegeta is only a child. He can’t stay in isolation that long or—”

“Or he will lose his mind. Yes, I know,” Frieza finished casually, shocking Nappa. “To be honest, if he can’t survive with all of his faculties, then I wouldn’t want him to serve me and would simply do away with him. If he can’t finish out the day, then he was worthless to me anyway.”

Angered by Frieza’s callousness regarding Vegeta’s isolation, Nappa spiraled and, before Frieza could accept his presence or object to what he was about to do, Nappa ran out of the throne room. Frieza demanded Zarbon stop him. The former general didn’t care. Vegeta was alive, and he was at risk of losing his mind. Nappa refused to let that happen. He promised Kalina that he would protect Vegeta the best he could. He would die trying if he had to.

He sensed Vegeta’s ki, weak as it was from being restrained, and quickly flew to the lower deck. Zarbon caught up with him and knocked him down. The alien rolled his eyes. “You will not remove the boy.”

“The hell I won’t, toad!” Nappa shouted before he ignited his ki, ready to fight.

Zarbon simply blinked and snickered. “Ah, so you’ve heard of my reputation. That is good. I must inform you that in both my forms, I am much stronger than any Saiyan elite or super elite. If you fight me now, you will die, and then coming here would have been a fool’s errand.”

“Vegeta will not survive in there,” Nappa explained. “He will be of no use to Frieza if he’s dead or crazy. Regardless of what Frieza said up there, he would not want to lose his protégé and he would have declared war with Planet Vegeta.”

“Hm,” Zarbon pondered; his finger tapped his chin. “That is a problem. I will discuss the matter with Frieza, but your little monkey prince will remain in his cell. If you go in there, I will be sure to handle your punishment myself later.”

“I will gladly take that punishment.”

Nappa raced past Zarbon and punched the cell open. The Saiyan found Vegeta lying on the cot shaking. The prince had his eyes clenched tightly shut and struggled to breath. It was like he was crying, but without the tears. His anxiety poured off of him so much that Nappa didn’t even need a bond with the boy to feel it.

“Prince Vegeta,” he called out, his voice raw with emotion at seeing Kalina’s son in such a state.

Vegeta did not answer him. He continued to shake and sob, repeatedly asked ‘why’ in their native language. “Vegeta,” Nappa tried again, but to no avail. He needed to do something, anything, so he picked Vegeta up which caused the prince to freak out. The kid attempted to escape his hold, but Nappa refused to let him go. The former general’s eyes saw Zarbon’s glare back at them. Nappa knew that later he would be in for it, but for now he needed to get Vegeta to safety. It was bad enough that Vegeta had been isolated for a day and a half, which to the boy probably felt more like a lifetime.

Nappa couldn’t believe the damage caused in one day. In one day, Frieza nearly broke the prince, tortured him and isolated him, caused the two most important bonds the prince had to be completely shattered. He held Vegeta close to him and heatedly glared at Zarbon as he left the isolation cell. He didn’t know where he was going, but eventually he felt Vegeta stir in his arms. “W-where—?”

“Sh,” Nappa hushed. “It’s all right, Prince Vegeta. I’m taking you back to your room.”

“T-turn here,” the prince instructed, then finally opened his eyes. “N-Nappa?”

The general nodded. “Yes. I was sent to protect you.” Vegeta’s eyes narrow, and Nappa noticed. “What?”

“My father sent you,” he growled. “He didn’t think I could handle it.”

“That’s not true,” Nappa attempted to pacify the boy. “I was sent by—”

“I don’t wish to hear it,” Vegeta snapped. “I knew it. He lied to me. He lied to me, Nappa. He doesn’t believe in me at all.”

“Vegeta, he does believe in you,” Nappa assured him. “Sometimes we all need a little backup. We need to look out for each other here. We’re not on safe ground.”

“Whatever,” the prince scoffed, though his hand moved to Nappa’s arm to make sure he was actually in the arms of a Saiyan and not still back in the horrible cell.

Nappa was relieved that the prince shook off most of his nerves to hold a conversation and direct him to his room. At least he got to him before the boy truly succumbed to insanity.

* * *

_Trunks was shaking, his face full of anger. “How?” he asked. “How could anyone do that?”_

_The guardian sighed. He knew telling Trunks was going to be difficult, but the boy needed to be prepared. If he were to sit through his father’s story, he needed to understand just how much of a monster the Arcosian was. “You are very blessed, Trunks, that you do not live in the world we did,” Nappa explained cautiously. “Most of it was because of the alliance, but a great deal is because of your parents. Your father knew how the Arcosians worked. Frieza was not a good being. He was worse than us, and we were bad, Trunks. He would kill his own men just to make an example, and as you heard he had no problem harming those weaker than him, not even a defiant six-year-old._

_“Your father never believed that we were safe after Frieza’s defeat, and he trained long and hard to prepare in case King Cold or Cooler ever came after us. Likewise, your mother has made a lot of strides in our planet’s defensive technology. Neither of them wants you to have to experience a childhood similar to your father’s.”_

_Trunks looked down. “I know. Mom told me about King Cold and what would have happened. It’s still not fair. Mom was kidnapped, but Dad got handed over. I kind of get why he’s so distant, now.”_

_Nappa nodded. “Feeling betrayed by a person you share a bond with is a horrible feeling. Celen felt that way with me, and I could never do right by him afterwards. That is one of my major regrets.”_

_Trunks honestly felt relieved that he did not have a relationship like that with his father. His dad was always there for him, trained him and supported him with anything he wanted. He never went easy on him during training, but Trunks now understood why. Vegeta never wanted him or Tarble to ever be put in the position he had been in as a child. Still, Trunks was young and born into a peaceful world with only slight tensions with the former ally, Earth. He still couldn’t understand why his father was struggling to tell him of his past. Trunks’s eyes widened at the thought._

_His dad had been Frieza’s soldier, meaning he became a purger._

_Nappa could see the gears in the prince’s head turn and realized that the boy figured out the truth about what his father had become. “How? How did he survive that?”_

_“Truthfully, I cannot tell you the answer,” Nappa explained. “That will all be a part of what Vegeta tells you, but your mother and you played a big role in that.”_

_“We did?” Trunks asked, seeming very surprised. His father and mother hadn’t met until his father was an adult, but the child didn’t think his father served Frieza that long. According to his mother, they met on Earth at school, long after an alliance was formed with Planet Earth, meaning his father had been free for years._

_Nappa nodded. “As I said, your father will be the one to tell you all of that. For now, I can only attest to what happened after I found him on the ship.”_

_Trunks moved to the edge of his seat._

* * *

Dodoria returned to Frieza after he spoke with the Saiyan king who appeared genuinely shocked that his general fled Planet Vegeta to board Frieza’s vessel, though he did request another Saiyan, a third-class Saiyan, board the ship as well. It was the son of Bardock, a powerful third-class whose power was rising at an alarming rate. Frieza thought about it with a grimace. He did not want too many monkeys aboard his ship.

Frieza realized a long time ago that the monkeys increased their strength every time they nearly lost their lives. It was why he made sure to give Vegeta a good beating, for he knew the child would not want a repeat. That would work to the Arcosian’s advantage, for now he wouldn’t have to allow Vegeta to grow stronger. He would control what the prince did from now on through fear.

In a small group of three, the Saiyans could be no threat to him, but as a whole they posed a problem. Maybe it would be a good idea for him to collect the offered Saiyan, for in a year’s time their race would no longer be a threat to him. “Tell the monkey king to send his soldier to Planet Frieza #34. We will pick him up there.”

“Yes, sir, Lord Frieza,” Dodoria replied. “Now, about the third-class, Bardock…”

“Not yet, Dodoria,” Frieza ordered. Piercing, red eyes cut through the pink alien’s soul. “You will continue to watch his team’s progress and report back to me. I will decide when we strike, understood.”

“Yes, lord.”

Nappa got Vegeta back to his room and laid the injured, sleeping child on his bed. The prince looked so innocent, but his expression was pained, and his body shook once again. The former general covered the boy with a thin blanket provided to him and wrapped him tightly to protect him from the cold of space. Nappa leaned against the opposing wall, arms crossed, and watched over the prince as he slept. He knew it was only a matter of time before Zarbon retrieved him for punishment.

He was right.

His attention shifted to the opening door, and Zarbon stood in the frame. The blue-skinned freak did not look pleased, and Nappa smirked. “Well, what took you? Had to run to Frieza crying?”

“Silence,” Zarbon ordered, his voice booming. “Lord Frieza is not pleased with this development. You will be lucky if you survive punishment.”

“Whatever,” Nappa retorted. “Do your worst, toad.”

Hours later, Nappa felt the ship land, much to his relief. Zarbon let him have it and nearly destroyed his body while ki restraints forced his energy inside of him. Streams of blood poured down the former general’s skin, but he survived. He knew it would take a while for him to heal, but as long as he did right by Vegeta he could care less.

The toad returned to drag the Saiyan back to the prince’s room, two more separate cots set up inside. Nappa seemed shocked as Zarbon tossed him across the room to his bed. As he crashed into the now bloodied wall, Nappa glowered at Frieza’s second who then left him and the prince alone.

The sound of crashing into the metal wall woke the prince; the child rubbed his eyes before he was alerted to his pain. His small hand moved to put pressure on the gash across his stomach. He sat up, and Nappa watched as the boy forced himself to breathe through the pain. The child was amazing, and Nappa stared at him in awe.

Vegeta’s attention shifted to Nappa, and his eyes betrayed his fear and guilt. “W-w-what happened to you?” he questioned, alarmed.

“Nothing, prince,” Nappa reassured. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

“You…you were punished,” Vegeta stated. “B-because of me?”

Nappa didn’t answer, but the look on his face said it all, and the prince was horrified. “Vegeta, it was not because of you. I chose to go against Frieza’s orders regarding your isolation. He is to blame, not you.”

“Y-you didn’t have to,” the prince said. His hands latched onto his face and his voice wavered. “Y-you didn’t have to!”

The prince curled up and clenched his eyes shut as he continued to hold his head and shake. Nappa said nothing but let Vegeta process what he was feeling. “Y-you… Why would you…?”

“Because I care about what happens to you, my prince,” Nappa offered, earning Vegeta’s startled gaze. The child hesitantly looked at him in disbelief. It shook Nappa to the core to see his closest friend’s son so vulnerable. “You mother has always been a comrade of mine, and I will not allow anything to happen to her son.”

Vegeta’s eyes hardened as the shaking stopped, and then he tried to form a protective mask to his emotions. He looked away from Nappa, but the general could feel a bond form between them. Vegeta held a lot of distrust towards him, and he could feel it, but at least the prince knew he could depend on him while on Frieza’s ship. “Rest now, Prince Vegeta,” Nappa instructed. “Tomorrow, these flesh wounds shall be healed. If we are able, we will start the next level of your training. Is that understood?”

“I understand,” Vegeta replied curtly. He lied down and closed his eyes.

Nappa could hear the child sigh a sound of relief, and eventually Vegeta fell back into a deep sleep. A smile formed on the former general’s lips, for he was relieved Vegeta listened to him. The kid could be arrogant and disrespectful at times, but Nappa now realized it was a way for the prince to hide. Now that the boy accepted the bond of comradery, Nappa could tell just how fearful Vegeta was of the world around him. He would need to help the kid build up true confidence.

Hours later, Nappa managed to finally get cleaned up and comfortable, though his healing wounds itched like crazy. He knew he had a few hours to rest before he’d need to get Vegeta up to nurse what remained of his wound. His eyes cast over the form of the child. The general sighed as his attention turned back to the ceiling. Thankfully, Vegeta was doing okay, for the most part. When the child woke up, he would probably be in a panic. Nappa would have to be ready for that.

Surprisingly, the door opened, and Nappa tensed thinking that Zarbon had come back for another round of torture. “Good lord,” a familiar voice whispered. “General Nappa, what did they do to you?”

Nappa forced himself to sit up and saw one of his teenage trainees, Raditz, standing before him with fearful eyes and his mouth agape. “Heh,” Nappa snickered before he smirked, “I’m fine, operative. Nothing to worry about.” His expression darkened. “The prince, on the other hand…”

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard,” Raditz stated. “I was heading to the castle for training and ran into Celen.” That caught Nappa’s attention. “He’d been by your house, looking for you. When he didn’t find you, he flew to the palace in a panic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so worried.”

“Did he talk to you?”

Raditz nodded. “He went to the king and queen asking if you had shown up to the training grounds. The king was stunned you weren’t at your post, so Queen Kalina informed us all that you chose to intercept Frieza and guard the prince. The queen pulled Celen aside, and King Vegeta got the call from Dodoria. I was with him and he asked if I could board the ship, too. I didn’t hesitate.”

Nappa relaxed. Kalina kept her promise; he was sure of it. He hoped that when he faced his son again, if they ever got out of this mess, he would be a father Celen was proud to have. He looked over to the prince again. He needed to make sure Vegeta made it home safely, as well. His attention shifted to Raditz. Now he had two charges to train and look after.

Frieza was going to have a field day with this.

* * *

_Vegeta was on the other side of the palace. His fists clenched the white, stone balcony. He could feel Trunks’s disgust and felt an ache in his chest. The prince could only imagine what part Nappa got to in the story. Vegeta shook his head. Maybe he should have waited until Trunks was older to have this discussion. When he was older, he’d understand more. The history lesson needed to stop._

_“Papa?”_

_The prince tensed when he heard Trunks call him the rare, affectionate name he used. His heart nearly stopped. Instantly, he turned to face the boy and saw the kid’s surprisingly hardened eyes that reflected so much of himself. At first, Trunks said nothing, only stared intensely at his father before his eyes softened._

_A two fingered salute was his boy’s next form of communication, accompanied by a smile. Vegeta could picture the day his son’s future counterpart left, and the sign meant the same. Relief washed over Vegeta, and he responded in kind with the knowledge that his son accepted whatever Nappa told him._

_Once Vegeta responded, Trunks took charge for his father, jumped into his arms, and embraced him. Vegeta couldn’t believe when he felt the body of his son shaking and heard the distinct sniffles of his crying. Eventually, he felt the warm tears, but only a couple before Trunks’s voice wavered. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”_

_Vegeta chuckled lightly and patted his son’s head. “It comes with the territory, Trunks. As long as I have breath in me, I will always protect you, you and your mother.”_

_“I know, Papa,” the child replied with a grin. “I’ll protect you, too.”_

* * *

The days began to blur together, and Vegeta couldn’t even tell what was morning or night. He basically lived on the ship and only went to bed when he was exhausted enough. Other times, he trained with Nappa and Raditz for purges. Vegeta had been trained to purge by killing Saibamen, but purging entire planets was something completely different. Nappa had to shout out orders to him through the scouter on how to attack to take out the most lives. After all, most of the time they only had a couple of weeks to wipe out a couple hundred thousand.

It was not an easy life to get used to, especially with how little the Saiyans were able to eat. There were days where they didn’t get a chance to eat because they missed the cafeteria hours when they returned late in the day from missions. Vegeta didn’t even want to think of the food sources when they purged worlds. The thought would churn his stomach and he couldn’t live with himself.

The prince hated this life on Frieza’s ship. At first, he used the missions to train himself to take the lizard down but, despite his rising power level, Vegeta always came up short. He still had difficulties besting Cui, and the fish-faced alien was far weaker than even Dodoria and Zarbon. That fact served to make the prince very angry.

He was enraged every time one of Frieza’s ass-kissers called him, Raditz, and Nappa monkeys. It was degrading the way they spoke and mocked them and their race and strength. Vegeta was a strong child. No one denied that. Unfortunately, he was still just a boy and didn’t have the years of experience in battle or how to utilize his power.

Nappa did his best to train the prince, but it wasn’t always feasible. They were sent on a lot of missions. Vegeta was learning and getting better and more precise when it came to determining when to use his energy and when to conserve power. The child knew to eliminate the outer villages first so that they could get the ones least likely to fight first. Depending on the race’s strength, though, sometimes it was better to attack the central city and directly assault the defensive warriors.

Of course, most of the races they attacked were neither fully sentient nor humanoid. They started to delve into missions with more sentient life only recently and Vegeta didn’t like it. He knew that Frieza was going to assign him a planet with a fully sentient population. Nappa and Raditz knew how to handle that but, as loathe as the child was to admit it, he could not. It was not something he felt comfortable with at all.

Vegeta still didn’t know how he felt about the third-class warrior. He knew Raditz was strong and rivaled elite power despite being born into a third-class family. The two hardly spoke save on missions and occasionally in the room. Usually, Vegeta listened to Nappa and Raditz as they spoke. The rest of his time, he trained in the facilities until he used up his time. Apparently Frieza didn’t want the Saiyans to train past a certain amount of time each day. It was so pathetic that the Arcosian limited their activity and food intake. That bastard hid his fear of them behind his insults, or so Vegeta believed.

His father’s faith in him had been a lie, though. Vegeta knew that much. He never let Nappa explain why he was there. He didn’t want to hear what the former general had to say. When Raditz appeared that day, Vegeta was even more irate. Feeling insulted and a major stab at his pride, Vegeta locked himself in the washroom of their quarters, and the other two Saiyans let him be. He honestly wanted to be alone.

But he didn’t always like isolating himself. He knew his race and how they were with connections. He had not yet bonded with Raditz who was still a stranger to him. Vegeta, during that time, only had Nappa, and yet he still attempted to avoid the older Saiyan like the plague.

One day, when Vegeta was training alone, Zarbon came to him, a sick grin on his face. Vegeta shivered, but not enough for the alien to notice. When Frieza beat Vegeta, he ordered Zarbon to bring him to the isolation chamber. His second did so, but he lingered longer and made Vegeta feel more pain than he ever thought possible. The creep actually decided to go for his tail. Vegeta would never forgive Zarbon for disgracing him and causing him such immense, blinding pain.

“Vegeta, Lord Frieza wishes to see you. Now.”

Vegeta glared at Zarbon and stuck his nose in the air. Despite his height, Zarbon understood that the Saiyan looked down upon him, thought himself to be better. Vegeta was no more than a fly to him. “That’s Prince Vegeta to you, and if Frieza wants me, he can come to me himself.”

The blue-skinned alien rolled his eyes. “You forgot the ‘lord’ when addressing him, and if he were to be forced to come here you would die, so I would rethink your insolence. This meeting is in regards to your next mission.”

That piqued Vegeta’s interest. Frieza never summoned him privately for a meeting before. Every time, he went with Nappa and Raditz, or Zarbon or Dodoria gave the group their orders. This was a new development, and Vegeta was ready to face the challenge. He crossed his arms and smirked. “Whatever. Just lead the way.”

Frieza was waiting in his throne room, floating in his hover chair. Truthfully, the young prince didn’t think he had ever seen the Arcosian out of that chair ever since the beating he received the first day. As the thought hit him, he steeled himself, though his tail bristled before it wrapped firmly around his waist. The little prince looked to the grinning tyrant and felt his stomach drop. Still, he stood proud and tall, refusing to bow to his captor.

“Ah, Vegeta, how good of you to join us,” Frieza stated in a sickeningly sweet tone before he instantly grew serious. “Zarbon, close the door.”

“Yes, Lord Frieza,” the green-haired man responded dutifully.

Vegeta glanced over his shoulder, watched as the room’s one exit was blocked, and grimaced. He never liked feeling cornered or trapped and being stuck in a room with the lizard was not something he felt comfortable with. “Now, Vegeta, I would like to speak of your progress,” the tyrant posed, earning the prince’s undivided attention. “So far, you have done well in all of your assignments and have completed every mission assigned to you. Your power level has also increased. Because of this, you and the other two monkey soldiers will no longer be assigned entry level missions.”

“Entry level?” Vegeta questioned, slightly shocked. Each race they fought had not been very strong, but Vegeta never believed he was doing lesser missions. What exactly would Frieza assign to them, then?

“Tomorrow, you, Nappa, and Raditz will leave for Planet Derula and eliminate the full Derelik population.”

Vegeta’s eyes widened. He knew of the Dereliks. Like the Saiyans, the Dereliks were a warrior race with secret abilities, but even worse, they were a humanoid species. There was no way Vegeta could accept that type of mission. His eyes narrowed at the tyrant. He had always been trained to fight semi-sentient, plant-like creatures like the Saibamen, or natural fauna in hunting. He knew that, as he got older, he would be trained to fight and kill soldiers of other warrior races, but his father held off on that training. Vegeta hardly interacted with his mother, but from what he remembered of her, she wouldn’t want his training to be rushed.

“I refuse.”

Frieza looked very taken aback, disbelieving that the young prince denied him. “Excuse me?”

Vegeta’s glare remained firm. “I refuse to accept this mission.”

The energy in the room darkened, and Vegeta actually felt scared for a moment. Frieza’s aura was terrifying, especially when he actually stood up and floated down from his chair. There was only one other time Frieza ever left his chair, the first day Vegeta came aboard the ship. He knew what was about to happen to him, and he was determined to take it like a Saiyan. “Zarbon,” Frieza hissed. “Leave us.”

The door slammed shut behind them. Vegeta internally cringed but narrowed his eyes at his tormentor. He refused to let Frieza see any fear. “I suggest you reconsider, Vegeta. You’re way out of your league with me.”

Despite his racing heart, the young prince was able to stand up to the tyrant. “Do your worst, Frieza.”

* * *

_Both Trunks and Tarble stared at Vegeta with wide eyes. They didn’t know how the older prince managed to stay calm when dealing with the monster Arcosian. “W-what did he do to you?” Tarble asked in horror._

_Vegeta simply stared at his brother. The boy joined in on the history lesson recently. Apparently, both he and Trunks had been trying to learn the history of the planet for a while, but no one ever told them. Trunks had gotten fed up first and gone to his mother to learn at least about her history. When she was so forthcoming, he decided to ask about Planet Vegeta’s, hoping she wouldn’t be like the other adults who saw him and Tarble as children. “Basically, what he did when I showed defiance in the very beginning. He beat me within an inch of my life, and I still remember his sickening voice telling me it would be the last time since he knew I’d only grow stronger. He just wanted to remind me that he owned me. I blacked out from the pain after that, and when I awoke, I was tailless and Nappa and Raditz were gone.”_

_“Where did they go?” Trunks asked, alarmed._

_His father gave him a cold look, his fists clenched. “Even though I rejected the mission, Frieza sent Nappa and Raditz alone. When they returned a month later, after I awoke, they were nearly dead. They had nearly been killed by the Dereliks, which wouldn’t have happened if I had accompanied them. The warriors were too strong for them, and because of my insolence I nearly lost the only two people on my side on that blasted ship.”_

_“But it wasn’t your fault!” Tarble fought. “Frieza hurt you. You had to fight for what you believed in, or you would have gotten hurt with them.”_

_“It doesn’t matter,” Vegeta countered. “For all intents and purposes, I was their leader. I should have handled it differently. I felt like I had betrayed Nappa and Raditz. My actions led to their injuries. Even if they never blamed me, I did.”_

_Both boys remained silent knowing that Vegeta might stop confiding in them if they continued to fight him, and Vegeta appreciated that they were both so accepting and willing to listen. He had been skeptical about bringing Tarble in on Frieza and his tyranny. He never wanted either his brother or son to know what it was like back then, but it was nice to know they could respect their heritage and him despite all of the evil that was wrought. “So, whatever happened to the Dereliks?” Trunks chanced to ask._

* * *

Vegeta couldn’t believe the shape that Nappa and Raditz were in. He awoke after the healing chamber finished his cycle—after a month. Apparently, he had needed surgery, for Frieza did a number on his body and tail. The sensitive appendage had to be removed as well, but Vegeta knew it would grow back. He was young enough, but having it removed in the first place, targeted the way it was, was such a blow to his pride. He couldn’t believe Frieza had the audacity to humiliate him this way.

He couldn’t believe their oppressor sent the other two Saiyans to the Dereliks alone. There was no way they could take on the whole population. They were strong, but Vegeta knew he was stronger and could have assisted them. However, he disobeyed Frieza and in turn got all three of them put on their deathbeds.

The young prince remained in the medical wing, stared at his unconscious teammates, and frowned. It was worse when Zarbon entered the medical wing with a sickening smirk. He looked like a cat that ate the canary, as if he knew something Vegeta did not. “Well, look who finally woke up. I almost didn’t recognize you without your silly, monkey tail.”

Vegeta stood up, his fists clenched in rage, and normally his tail would have bristled, but he could feel its absence and silenced his growls. He accepted the taunt for he did not want to deal with retaliation. “Hm, nothing to say? Good, that’s an improvement. Lord Frieza will be pleased. He demands an audience with you.”

“About what?” Vegeta asked, confused. What would Frieza have to speak with him about? It was bad enough the tyrant beat him and left him unconscious, hanging by a thread to keep his life. He even went so far as to risk the only allies he had. What more did the monster want?

“He didn’t say. However, if I were you, I would just go and listen,” Zarbon remarked, his voice full of mocking. “Follow orders for once, _Prince_ Vegeta. If you do, you won’t have to worry about being in here…much.”

Zarbon laughed as he left the medical wing and left the prince seething. Still, the toad’s words were accurate. Vegeta didn’t think he could take another beating from Frieza. Despite how long he was in the tank, he still felt many pangs of pain. Perhaps Zarbon was right, to an extent. Vegeta needed to hear what Frieza had to say whether it be pompous gloating or at least an explanation of what happened on the Derelik planet.

Frieza was, surprisingly, not in his throne room, so Vegeta went to the guards waiting outside. They informed him that Frieza was in his private quarters, and Vegeta was to go. This was highly unusually for Frieza, and fear crept into Vegeta’s heart. If his tail was still there, it would have tightened around his waist so hard he’d bruise.

He gathered his courage and readied himself to face Frieza. He was about to knock on the metal door, but it instantly opened and allowed Vegeta access to the room. The door closed once he was inside. The room reminded Vegeta of his own back home, and he could definitely see that Frieza took care of himself well yet treated his soldiers like dirt. He glared and made sure to keep his energy at bay, and then he paused in front of a giant star chart.

He could see all of the planets, just like the chart back home. If he tapped on the planet holograms, he could see the status of a mission. He couldn’t fight his curiosity. He needed to know what happened on Planet Derula. The mission entailed taking out the planet’s militia and royal family and leaving the civilians unharmed until Frieza could meet on planet to form a deal—taking the people as soldiers. Had negotiations failed, the rest of the population would then be exterminated.

The prince looked at the mission objective for the Saiyan team, and two bright, highlighted words caused overwhelming dread to flood the child’s system.

**Failed. Incomplete.**

Those were two words a team never wanted to have on their record, not when it came to Frieza. Vegeta backed away from the computer slowly; his normally stoic face betrayed his distress. He didn’t even realize that Frieza was directly behind him. Vegeta backed into the Arcosian and nearly leapt in the air as he spun around to face him. Frieza grinned at the child’s horror.

Vegeta tried to regain his composure; he stood tall despite his shaking body. “So good to see you didn’t die, my pet,” Frieza jeered making Vegeta grimace. “I hope you learned something from our last meeting.” When Vegeta didn’t grace him with a response, he added. “You know, little _prince_ , you are highly out of your league, and you belong to me.”

A fire went off inside Vegeta. His heart beat in an angry rage. “I belong to no one,” he growled.

“That is where you are wrong, _pet_ ,” Frieza spat, despite the humorous glint in his eyes. “Your father _gave_ you to me to save his own hide, and I have no intention of letting you go. You belong to me, and there is nothing you can do about it. I am much stronger than you, infinitely stronger, so you can either accept that you are my pet monkey and bow to me, or you can have another trip to the infirmary until you get the point. I would of course wait for your precious, little tail to grow back. The way you screamed when it broke was music to my ears.”

“You’re sick,” Vegeta snarled angrily. “How dare you? I refuse to bow to you, Frieza.”

Frieza didn’t seem bothered by the child’s declaration. In fact, he seemed even more confident and smoothly asked, “Vegeta, tell me, have you ever heard of Planet Marki?”

Vegeta was taken aback by the abrupt change in topic. He had no idea what the lizard was getting at, but he simply shook his head instead of asking Frieza directly. “Hm, I figured as much. It was a very old world with excellent resources. There was a king that ruled his people fairly, never overtaxed his people or struck fear into their hearts. One day, a powerful prince from a neighboring system came to the planet looking to make a deal and start a trade with the Marki people. The king, however, was a senseless fool, very pompous, and he refused to make a simple trade agreement with the prince.”

“So?”

Frieza smirked at the boy. “So, my pet, the king’s rejection disappointed the prince so much that the prince threw such a large tantrum and accidentally blew his planet away.” Vegeta looked stunned by the story. “Billions of lives gone in an instant, and the king only had himself to blame. Look here.” The Arcosian tapped a planet close to where the king’s home planet was. The planet was indeed called Marki. It looked beautiful and not much bigger than Planet Vegeta. Frieza tapped on the planet file and opened up its data. The planet was indeed destroyed, and it had been destroyed by an Arcosian, by a prince according to Frieza’s story. Vegeta’s eyes widened as his mind connected the dots. His attention shifted to Frieza.

The Arcosian wore a sickening grin as he looked at the diagram; his eyes shone in the light. He looked down upon the Saiyan prince and snickered. “I’m sure you understand now, pet, don’t you?”

Vegeta didn’t want to accept it. He couldn’t. If what Frieza was telling him was true, Frieza planned to destroy Planet Vegeta unless he complied with his every demand. The Arcosian stood tall, proud of his treachery and cruelty. This tyrant was not a prince to Vegeta. He was as Nappa had called him, a frost demon. The word ‘monster’ was on the tip of Vegeta’s tongue, but he swallowed it down.

“You…you wouldn’t,” Vegeta replied weakly. “We have always served you loyally.”

“Tsk, tsk, Vegeta,” Frieza replied. “Where that may be true, I know when to cut my losses. As long as you follow my command, your people and planet will be safe, but of course that depends on your compliance, _pet._ ”

The prince couldn’t handle it. The weight of the world was literally on his shoulders. If it had been his father, Vegeta was sure he wouldn’t break in front of Frieza, but Vegeta didn’t have that same mentality. He swore to his father that he would never show fear, that he would never let Frieza know he cared for anything.

He got down on his hands and knees; his body shook, and his breathing was uneven. The Saiyan knew the tyrant was stronger, much stronger than he was. He had no choice but to abandon his pride, for his people would suffer if he didn’t. “Please,” Vegeta choked out, “please don’t harm them. I’ll do whatever you say, Lord Frieza…please.”

The sight of the Saiyan prince on his knees, bowing to him, was delicious, and Frieza couldn’t help but lick his lips in anticipation. “Really, Vegeta? Anything I say?”

“Yes,” the child responded, “anything. On my honor as a Saiyan, I will do your bidding.”

“Then, my pet, there’s something I want you to do, here and now.”

“What?”

“You mean ‘what master’?” Frieza corrected.

“Yes,” Vegeta brokenly responded, “what master?”

“Deny your heritage and status.” Vegeta’s body jolted. He looked up to Frieza in alarm. The Arcosian’s attention remained on the boy. “You belong to me. You are no longer a prince, but a slave, Vegeta. You are no longer a Saiyan, but my pet. As soon as I hear the words leave your lips, I will agree to leave your planet be. If not, well, I can’t promise what my actions will be.”

Vegeta felt like he was suffocating. He couldn’t do what Frieza was asked, but he didn’t have a choice. His people were more important than his pride, and he couldn’t let them down. But, if he did what Frieza wanted, wasn’t he forsaking his people? No, no that wasn’t right. He was denying that he was one of them to protect them. He was walking away to be a sacrificial lamb. “I-I,” he hesitated, “I b-belong to you, Lord Frieza. I am your slave and faithful…p-pet.”

“And what are you not?” Frieza taunted, pushing Vegeta to the point of tears.

The prince closed his eyes, willing them away. “I’m not…I not a prince anymore. I’m not a Saiyan.”

Of course, as Frieza left the broken prince alone in his quarters, a part of Vegeta still hoped that he would be saved. Maybe his father would still come for him, one day.

* * *

_Silence. It had been about fifteen minutes since Vegeta stopped speaking, and he would not meet the eyes of his son and brother. He couldn’t bring himself to look them in the eye. “Th-that bastard!” Trunks exclaimed as he stood up and stomped his foot down. “H-he knew you couldn’t betray your people. I wish he was still alive so I could—”_

_“No, Trunks, no you don’t,” Vegeta responded sternly. “Frieza was not someone to be taken lightly, and it is good that he’s gone. I’m thankful you never had the opportunity to meet him, or his father for that matter.”_

_Trunks clamped up at Vegeta’s emphasis of Frieza’s father. Trunks already knew what would have happened to him had King Cold succeeded in his plans, had his future self not come to change the world. He crossed his arms and pouted as he sat back down. “I still hate him.”_

_Vegeta smirked, but he still felt bothered by reliving his past. “Believe me, so do I.”_

_“Why did Dad not come for you sooner?” Tarble asked._

_The older prince’s attention shifted to his brother, and their eyes met. It was the first time Vegeta ever saw tears in his brother’s eyes aside from when he was a baby wanting to be held. He could sense his emotions. Tarble actually could feel Vegeta’s pain and had his own, internal pain. His brother was an interesting Saiyan, and he could always feed off the emotions of others as if they were his own. What Vegeta had felt then affected his brother in ways Vegeta didn’t like. He merely sighed and motioned for his brother to sit beside him. Tarble did so, and Trunks sat on Vegeta’s other side. Both children placed their small hands on his clenched fists. “If at any time any of this becomes too much for you, either of you, you have to let me know.”_

_“It’s not that,” Tarble responded, “I just wish you didn’t have to go through all of that alone. It’s not fair.”_

_“Life isn’t always fair, kid,” Vegeta remarked, a rueful smile formed, “but it is over and done with and the past can’t be erased. If anything, it shaped me.”_

_Trunks leaned his head on his dad’s shoulder, still pouting. “True, but I still don’t like him. I’m glad he’s gone, too.”_

_“But…he was so strong,” Tarble stated. “How did we beat him?”_

_“Well, that’s the point of the story. You see, behind the scenes, Frieza was planning to attack three planets, our planet and two others, all considered a threat to him.”_

_“The Kanassans and the Nameks, right?” Trunks asked. He received a nod. “Why were you all considered a threat?”_

_“Well, as you’ve heard, Frieza knew that the Saiyans could get stronger,” Vegeta explained. “He was afraid of us and what we could become. One Saiyan was weak, but if the whole people rose up against him, it would give him trouble, but that still wouldn’t be enough._

_“The Kanassans had their mystical powers, namely their visions, and they could foresee anything. Frieza was worried about that power, and he kept that mission on the boards for months. Only one man was brave enough to handle the unknown—Kakarot’s and Raditz’s father. Bardock and his crew signed up for the mission, but members of his team kept falling ill, and the mission was put off._

_“As for the Nameks, they had both mystics and warriors, and they were a force to be reckoned with as well. If left unchecked, these forces were a threat to Frieza’s power. Of course, no one had any idea then, for what Frieza was truly worried about was what the Galactic Patrol preached.”_

_Trunks nodded. He remembered what Nappa had told him. Of course, Trunks filled Tarble in slightly, just that there was a girl alien among the people who helped bring down Frieza. He kept Nappa’s trust and didn’t reveal her name or the fact that Celen mated with her._

_“That woman was a Galactic Patrolman, right?” Tarble questioned. “Did the people finally listen to her?”_

_“No, Tarble, they didn’t. No one really knew much about her except that she was Celen’s medical assistant,” Vegeta explained. “Our father was not one to listen to outsiders then, thinking they wouldn’t agree with our methods. To be honest, Bulma was the first outsider he trusted enough to join us on political voyages. Before our mating, that was not a usual occurrence.”_

_“Why didn’t Dad want to listen, though?” Tarble asked a bit more adamant for an answer._

_Vegeta was careful in how he worded his next statement. To be honest, after what he had experienced, Vegeta lost all his respect for his father. He didn’t gain it back until that talk on the ship on the way to Arlia years before. “Tarble, our father inherited a horrible legacy, as I’m sure Trunks has told you. If you weren’t a Saiyan, you weren’t worthy. Any outsiders weren’t welcome.”_

_“But we were the outsiders,” Tarble argued._

_His brother nodded. “We were,” he agreed, “but I will admit that father has come a long way from those times. He realized that his grandfather was right. Making treaties and solidifying friendships was more important than taking our land.”_

_“Dad, you were raised by Grandpa, so how come you didn’t think like he did?”_

_“That, Trunks, is a story for another day.”_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

On Planet Vegeta, a new general was chosen, the queen’s brother, Zorn. King Vegeta had not expected Nappa to leave his post, but his mate told him that Nappa offered to go and she accepted when she found out about Vegeta. The former general made a huge sacrifice for the king and his lineage, and it was one that the royal would never be able to repay.

Well, except by honoring his son.

The king requested an audience with Celen. He came alone, without his alien assistant, as requested. He knelt down before the king and queen. To be honest, he figured the reason he was summoned to the palace was to be killed for betraying their race even though he was doing everything he could to help. “My king,” he greeted, his voice confident as he spoke. He already made arrangements for Tights to return home if he were to die. He was willing to accept his punishment.

“Celen, rise,” King Vegeta ordered which stunned the boy. Celen did as he was told and looked on the two royals with carefully hidden distrust. “You have no idea how grateful I am for what your father has done. It is practically unheard of for a Saiyan to abandon their most honorable position to not only take a lower rank, but to guard the son of another man.”

“It was the right thing to do,” Celen stated, his voice tight with anger as his fists clenched. “It was the honorable thing to do.”

“I agree,” the king said which shocked the young Saiyan even more. “Because of your father’s noble sacrifice, for protecting my heir, I am willing to offer you a high-ranking position in our military.”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Celen began, “I cannot accept a position in the army. I no longer wish to partake in purges or destruction. I am a doctor, and I would rather heal than destroy.”

The king had not been prepared for a rejection, but the queen knew the truth. Nappa told her about what Celen had become. She didn’t like the fact that he was with the patrol, but she knew he had Planet Vegeta’s best interests at heart. “Then what about an advisory position,” Kalina suggested.

“Queen Kalina,” Celen breathed out. He was overwhelmed by the suggestion. He knew that she knew about him, yet she was suggesting a higher position than his father’s that would require even more trust.

The king also looked at his mate with disbelief. “Why do you suggest this?”

Kalina flashed angry eyes to her mate. “My king, we are in the middle of something that we can’t get out of. That monster has our son, our general, and another of our men. We have to prepare for war, just in case, and we need to be smart about it. I have faith that Celen wouldn’t advise you to jump straight into battle. If we did that, we would lose any chance at rescuing our child.”

The king did not like his mate’s tone in front of one of their people. Celen simply turned away; he respected the couple enough to at least pretend to ignore their spat. “Fine, fine. I am prepared to offer you a position as an advisor. Are you willing to take the position?”

Celen’s eyes met the queen’s before he nodded his agreement. “I thank you both for this honor,” he stated. “I don’t know how to repay either of you.”

“This is our repayment,” Kalina assured the boy. “Please, let us know if there is anything you need, all right?”

“Yes,” Celen agreed before he left.

Once outside the throne room, Kalina felt the boy’s relief and then looked to her angry mate. “I know how you feel, Kalina, but don’t you ever go above your authority. How could you offer him an advisory position?”

“You made a decision about my child without discussing it with me,” Kalina countered. “My friend fled to protect him. Celen would have been miserable in the army. Clearly you could see that.”

“Feh, it’s that alien assistant of his that taints his mind,” the king scoffed. “A Saiyan who refuses battle… If it weren’t for Nappa’s actions, that boy would be banished from my kingdom.”

A slap resounded in the room; an enraged Kalina stood above her mate. “Never say that again,” she demanded before she left the throne room and slammed the doors behind her.

The king stared dumbfounded at the door. Who did Kalina think she was? Not only did she undermine his authority, but she dared to lay a hand on him in malice and offered up a position—for his most trusted person—when the king truly held no respect for the Saiyan reject. Zorn entered through a side door having witnessed the king’s humiliation. He cleared his throat awkwardly and said, “If I may, Your Highness.” The king nodded. “My sister is blinded by the soft spot she had for Nappa and what he is doing for her child. She will look after Celen, regardless of the boy’s motives, as her own like Nappa is doing for your son. Therefore, she is not of rational mind when it comes to Celen.”

“What do you suggest I do?”

“Give Celen a task, sir,” Zorn instructed. “We are still trying to figure out who leaked the information about Prince Vegeta’s existence to Frieza in the first place. My money is on his alien assistant. If his loyalties truly lie with you and he finds her out in his investigation, he will have no problem turning her in.”

“And what if it isn’t the alien?” the king asked, even though he too felt the outsider was responsible.

“Then he must provide you with indisputable evidence. If he can prove who it really is, then we should all be able to trust him.”

* * *

_“Poor Celen,” Tarble murmured. “Why wouldn’t Dad trust him?”_

_“He brought in an outsider and abandoned our people for a time, and no one knew what he did during that time, except that he became a doctor. It wasn’t until after his death, once we all returned home and Nappa confessed, that Celen was found to be part of the Galactic Patrol.”_

_“But you said that the alien girl helped bring down Frieza,” Trunks countered. “How? If Grandpa wouldn’t listen to outsiders, what power did she have?”_

" _Trunks…" Vegeta stated. "I don't want to jump ahead in the story, but I will explain this. After the alliance was made, she was able to hack into Frieza's systems and gather information about the leak. Then, she and Celen received vital information on the Arcosians' plans, but they were eliminated after they divulged the information to the other planets and the Galactic Patrol."_

_“What happened to the plans?” both boys asked, awed._

_“The girl escaped to her home planet, wherever it was, in hopes to evade what remained of Frieza’s men, and she was never heard from again. We could only assume she died—either en route or on her mother soil.”_

_“That’s terrible,” Trunks scoffed, affronted._

_Vegeta nodded his agreement. “I will tell you more on that later. There is still the matter of how the alliance got started, and how Celen found the mole. Obviously, it was not his alien assistant.”_

* * *

Celen couldn’t believe that the king summoned him privately and told him just how much he distrusted him. The Saiyan was insulted by the king, yet he only felt disgust. He was angry that his mate was under suspicion. He knew that Tights did nothing against them. In fact, she involved him with everything she did. He trusted her completely, and he needed her help.

The two of them spent days trying to find something, anything that would clear her name, but they kept coming up empty. “I guess we have to figure out who had motive,” Tights suggested. “The only ones who knew were those on the king’s council. Did your father ever complain about anyone?”

“I don’t know, Tights,” Celen sighed. “It’s not like on your planet where the families come home and discuss their day. Saiyans keep close mental connections, but for an actual connection…even my parents didn’t discuss their daily lives.”

Tights sighed and shook her head. “Can we agree our child will never be put through that? I want him to grow up knowing that he can trust us.”

Celen nodded his agreement. He still couldn’t believe she knew the gender of the baby. He saw it himself when they visited her world on that crazy machine, but he was still awed. “For now, I need to work on clearing your name, or we’ll never make it that far.”

“So, who is on the council?”

“Well, my father was,” Celen started as he counted on his fingers. “The queen’s brother is another, but he’s out. He would never betray his sister or nephew.”

“Okay, so two out. Who else?”

“Tomata, Leta, Benea, Paragus…wait a minute,” Celen pondered. He went towards the computer they had. “Run Paragus through the system.”

“Why?”

“Just do it,” Celen stated. “Something about him always felt off.”

Tights did what her mate asked and found a squeaky clean record, something completely unheard of for a Saiyan. Even Celen’s record was ridiculously long. “Uh…” she murmured before she looked to her mate fearfully. “This really isn’t normal.”

“No, it’s not, and my distrust of him doesn’t help, either.”

“What did your father ever say about him?”

“Apparently, there’s a rivalry in the bloodline. Both King Vegeta’s father and Paragus’s were strong warriors, and during the Saiyan-Tuffle War, they were both looked upon as leaders. Paragus’s father attempted to challenge the king to a friendly duel for leadership of the tribe but lost. Paragus, however, did not agree with his father’s decision, or so he said, and his strength still rivaled the king. King Vegeta brought him on as a councilman. Still, Paragus should have at least taken a mission or two, or it would have drawn a red flag with Frieza.”

Both Celen and Tights looked to each other and put the dots together. “He wanted Frieza to contact him. He…he…”

“Tights, I need proof, or the king will never believe this. He would never believe an alien or me over a trusted official.”

“How do we get proof?”

“That camera thingy you have,” Celen suggested. “I can get Paragus alone and confront him and you can record everything.”

“Why would he admit anything to you?” Tights asked. Her eyes were full of fear. “What if he kills you for figuring it out?”

“He won’t,” Celen assured her as he took her hands. “You have to trust that I know what I’m doing and I know my people. Paragus will confess because he knows the king will never believe a Saiyan who has become an outsider. No one knows about video recorders.”

Tights was still skeptical, but she trusted her mate. She placed his hand over her abdomen and said, “You better be sure about this, Celen.”

“I am.”

* * *

Paragus entered the room indicated in the strange note he received at his home. Someone left a note on the door and demanded an audience regarding dealings of his. It was so cryptic, and Paragus really didn’t know what it was about, but he decided to go. He was wanted back at the palace, at the docking bay. There was a pod there, ready for departure but nothing else.

“So, you showed up.”

Paragus looked up to see Celen leaning against a wall, his arms crossed, with an accusatory glint to his eyes. The old Saiyan chuckled. “Well, if it isn’t the third-class who shirked on his duties. What reason have you to call me here?”

Celen pushed himself off the wall. “As I said on the note, I am here to discuss your dealings.”

Paragus chuckled. “Dealings with what, boy?”

Celen looked into the eyes of the elite. “With Frieza,” he stated coldly.

Paragus didn’t react for a moment, and then he started laughing. “Boy, you are foolish to think I’d have any dealings with Frieza.”

“You told him about the prince,” Celen accused.

Once he said that, all amusement left Paragus. “The king would never believe you. You are nothing to him, and I am a trusted member of his council.”

“I just want to know why you did it,” Celen remarked. “Why would you betray your king who you had so loyally served for decades?”

“Why?” Paragus sneered. “Because that pompous bastard had no right to lead our people. My father should have done away with his and taken his place as a leader.”

“But throwing in your lot with Frieza?” Celen pressed. “Why? Why not just challenge the king to a fight? Why work with someone who wishes to destroy us?”

“I don’t know where you are getting your information, boy, but tread carefully,” Paragus warned. “The king wouldn’t give two shits if something happened to you. Just because you’re the son of Nappa does not mean the king has forgotten your treachery. You ignored your orders and abandoned you post. And of all things to become, a doctor? A healer? Nonsense. You are hardly a Saiyan anymore.”

“Dishonor me all you like,” Celen accepted, “but do not say I am not a Saiyan anymore. I remain loyal to the crown where you betrayed them. You are the one who can no longer call himself a Saiyan. What did Frieza tell you to get you on his side?”

“What did he tell me?” Paragus chuckled at the boy’s ignorance. “He told me nothing. Promised me nothing. I simply informed him of the prince’s birth, for I knew he would take the king’s heir. Once the king dies, there will be no one to lead the people, and I will take over. The best part is that Frieza will be willing to make agreements with me, for I was the one out of all the Saiyans who knew the truth and was willing to risk my neck in showing Frieza loyalty. Soon, my son will be born, and I will have my own heir. My lineage will be the one to rule this planet, not Vegeta’s.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Both Paragus and Celen were shocked and stunned into silence when the voice of the king resounded in the room. The younger Saiyan looked to the angry king and then to the space pod and realized that Tights’s energy was nowhere to be found. “Where is my assistant?” he demanded.

The king looked to Celen and sighed. “She was caught snooping around in here and informed me of your plan. I hadn’t truly believed her, but I figured that I should at least hear for myself. She is currently in the dungeon and will be released to you, though we have some things to discuss, boy. For now, remain here, for I have something to say to Paragus.”

Paragus was appalled. His eyes flashed to the boy and narrowed in rage. Celen set him up. “How dare you?”

“Silence!” the king snarled. “You do not get to berate him. I gave him the task of investigating the issue thinking he might betray me for the alien, but all the while the real snake was one of our own. You power-hungry, greedy bastard. My father was willing to accept you and your father into our courts, and you repay me by putting my son in harm’s way? You have committed treason, a serious offence, and you will be put to death.”

“You wouldn’t da—”

“I most certainly would,” Vegeta replied, and then an idea his him. “Or I could sentence your son to death as you have practically done to mine.”

Even Celen was astonished by that declaration. “King Vegeta, I—” But the king glared at the Saiyan, and Celen clamped his mouth shut.

The king continued, “In fact, maybe I should put both you and your mate to death now. That way, your treasonous line ends here.”

“Leave my son out of this!” Paragus demanded.

“It’s too late for that!” the king snapped. “You have no idea what you have set in motion, and for that, you must now pay. The soldiers were already tuned into this call and are apprehending your mate currently as we speak. They said that the power reading coming from her womb would have rivaled my son. Too bad for all of you that it won’t matter in a few hours.”

Paragus was about to protest, but the king blasted a hole in his chest, and Celen watched in horror as the man dropped to the ground. The boy instantly looked at the king, the king’s eyes hardened and cold, and Celen felt the room drop a few degrees. “I don’t know how you narrowed it down to him, or what you did, but I will interview you and that woman in the main throne room after the Paragus’s woman’s execution.”

“The woman and the child have done nothing to you,” Celen returned. “Why can’t you just let them be?”

“The power level of the child is unstable, and the mother is already weak,” the king explained. “I do not trust that the boy wouldn’t be a threat. The due date was in a couple of months, and he is already stronger than Vegeta.”

“So you’re doing it for your pride?” Celen guessed, his voice bitter.

“Vegeta’s power was stable,” the king continued, “but this child’s is not. He would be a danger to our planet.”

“To our planet or to you?”

“Does it matter, _advisor_?” King Vegeta sneered. “Just be lucky I didn’t kill your assistant. She refuses to give her name and planet of origin, and her words were unbelievable. She told us that Paragus hadn’t gone on a mission to attract Frieza’s attention, an incredible claim. How did you even find that information? What was your source?”

“My king, I want to tell you, believe me,” Celen said cautiously, “but I have to keep my assistant’s safety in mind.”

“You talk of her as if she were your mate, boy,” the king countered, and Celen panicked. “Is she?”

“No,” Celen choked out, not wanting to deny her, but he knew her life would be in jeopardy if he didn’t. “Just my assistant.”

“So her child is not yours then?”

“She was pregnant before we met,” Celen explained. “She was a patient of mine and I took pity on her. She will return to her home world before the birth so the child will not be born on our soil.”

“See that she does,” the king demanded. “Celen, for uncovering this deceit, I will allow the girl to live, so if there is anything else you wish to tell me, now is the time to do it before you lose my favor.”

“There is nothing else, my king,” Celen lied as he bowed. “Just release her. She is just an innocent bystander who planned on helping me uncover the traitor.”

“Understood. I still will interview you for your statements.”

“I understand.”

* * *

_“So, Grandpa actually suspected them being mates?” Trunks asked as his heart raced. “Did he ever have any proof?”_

_“No, boy,” Vegeta returned not understanding why he felt the child panic. He also felt his relief after he said that his father never had proof. “Why do you ask?”_

_“No reason,” Trunks lied. “I just overheard a Saiyan somewhere out in the city say that it used to be outlawed for Saiyans to mate outsiders.”_

_Vegeta nodded. “It was, but that has obviously changed,” the prince reminded him._

_“I still think it’s crazy that Dad hated outsiders so much,” Tarble grumbled. “She only wanted to help us.”_

_“Father was very black and white at the time, Tarble,” Vegeta explained once again. “If you weren’t one of us, you held no loyalty to us and could stab us in the back at any second. Celen’s assistant was on our side, for whatever reason, but our father couldn’t see that until she put her life at risk when Celen went to confront Paragus.”_

_“So Paragus’s mate was really killed too?”_

_“Yes, but not just because my father demanded it. A visitor arrived on the planet that day, another outsider, a Kanassan.”_

* * *

The king scheduled the execution of Paragus’s mate for that evening leaving Tights in the dungeon overnight. Celen went to explain the situation to the woman and had not returned to the king as of yet. It was during that time that a strange reading appeared on the scouter. A Saiyan came to him with a Kanassan. He looked like some humanoid turtle, and his hands were on his head as he entered the king’s chamber.

“He demanded an audience with you, sire,” the soldier relayed. “He said it was important and would change the course of our history.”

“I come in peace, King Vegeta,” the Kanassan stated. He got onto his knees. “I come here with no wish to fight or declare war, but to inform you of the horrors about to occur.”

“The horrors about to occur,” the king scoffed. “I should kill you where you stand.”

“You may kill me if you wish,” the Kanassan remarked, “and leave my people without their king, but at least let me say what I must first. Then I will gladly accept my death.”

The king was taken aback. Surely the leader of that race wouldn’t come without soldiers, alone. Vegeta looked to his soldier who held up a singular finger, indicating that it was exactly what the Kanassan had done. “Speak. I will hear what you have to say.”

“King Vegeta,” the Kanassan ruler began, “I have travelled here knowing that a team of your soldiers will assault our planet.” The king was once again astonished. “Our race is known for the psychic abilities to see the future. Bardock is the team leader, I believe. We saw our demise at his team’s hands; however, his men have been getting sick and his mate is expecting a child. She has also been ill, so he has been delaying the purge.”

The king didn’t make it his business to know about third-class teams, but he had noticed that Bardock took the mission that even Frieza’s elites shied away from. He also noticed that the deployment date was put off multiple times due to illnesses. “You have my attention, Kanassan.”

“Frieza is planning to turn on you,” the Kanassan reported. The king was about to protest, but he was interrupted. “I have seen visions of Planet Vegeta’s destruction in addition to that of Planet Namek. Due to our race’s abilities, we are already scheduled to be purged. However, there is a way we can stop Frieza’s warpath and defeat him once and for all.”

“And what is that?”

“A lowly soldier on my planet, Demetrious, saw a vision that could change all of our history,” the Kanassan king explained. “He said that he saw a vision of me prostrated before you, imploring you to make a deal. We cannot offer much except our ability to see the future and our mystical powers. All we can do is humbly ask that you ally yourselves with us. Demetrious has gone to Namek to ask their elder the same. If the three planets work together, we can take down Frieza and rescue the prince.”

“And why should I believe you?” King Vegeta questioned.

“Because my race will be doomed anyway,” the king explained. “Bardock’s team has been dispatched today. It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not, for we will be too late.”

“Then what is the point of making an alliance in the first place?” the king asked abruptly.

“Because most of my race left with Demetrious to Namek and will be saved. Only a handful of soldiers chose to stay behind.”

King Vegeta instantly turned his scouter on. “Soldier Bardock, report.”

It took a few minutes, but an irritated _‘Yeah?’_ sounded over the line.

“Abort mission,” the king commanded. “Do not attack the people of Kanassa. Their king is with me.” He looked to the stunned Kanassan in his presence. “They are our allies as of now. If you and your team attack them, you will be considered traitors. Return to Planet Vegeta immediately.”

There was silence on the line before Bardock’s gravelly voice responded. _“Copy.”_

“Thank you, King Vegeta,” the Kanassan praised. He bowed his head as low as he could. “I can never thank you enough.”

“No,” the king responded. “We can never thank you. I can believe what you said about Frieza. He has threatened the planet many times before. You are certain that we can save my son?”

“Prince Vegeta will be returned to you,” the Kanassan told him, “but it may be a while before he truly returns.”

The king hadn’t understood what the Kanassan meant, not until Vegeta had been rescued and returned home. Of course, he wanted to defeat Frieza and get his child home. He had been waiting for Zorn to tell him the troops were ready to storm Frieza’s ship after his next visit, the visit where he’d drop Vegeta off for his studies. They had about a month to prepare.

* * *

_“I take it a lot happened in that month,” Trunks pondered. “So that was the birth of the alliance.”_

_“Yes, Trunks,” Vegeta replied. “Father hadn’t wanted to trust any outsiders, but the fact that the Kanassan had been willing to truly lose his planet and was prepared to lose his life, was proof enough to him that the threat was very real.”_

_“What happened with Celen and his assistant, though? Did father interview them? And the execution? You said there was another reason,” Tarble replied._

_“Paragus’s mate was brought to the throne room, and when the Kanassan saw her he had a vision that she would give birth to a very powerful child with the power to destroy worlds and no mental control. His unstable power would have driven him to madness and he would have destroyed Planet Vegeta and any other planets in his wake.”_

_“Still, couldn’t it have been handled differently?” Trunks reasoned._

_“Now, yes,” Vegeta explained. “A lot of research has gone into unstable power. Unfortunately, back then managing it was only a pipe dream. The woman and child were put to death.”_

_Both boys looked a bit saddened by the thought before Trunks asked, “So…what about Frieza? The Kanassan said he was planning to destroy all three races. How long had he been planning that?”_

_“From before he took me,” Vegeta explained. “When Nappa informed me that we would be returning home within the month, I knew that it was a lie—not that he knew it. Frieza had made it clear that he never intended to let me go. In fact, he became more brutal with me after that, scheduled back-to-back missions. I honestly lost track of time between the missions. Everything started to blur, and races all started to look the same. I am not proud of what I became. I was nothing but a killer, and for a short time I enjoyed it. All of that destruction was great stress relief for me.”_

_The two children seemed to understand and nodded, not feeling any animosity towards him as he confessed that to them. He wondered if he was being graced by such understanding and unconditional love as a reward for changing so much over the years. Telling the boys his pain of the past seemed to help, for he was able to unload and confide, and they did not look at him any differently._

_“It’s still so weird, though,” Trunks murmured as he crossed his arms and scratched his head. “I mean, if Frieza wanted to take out our race, why did he take you? He was afraid of you getting stronger, so why…?”_

_“I have long given up on trying to understand that bastard,” Vegeta answered, “but to be honest, I think he wanted my undying loyalty, and instead of trying to gain my favor, he wanted my fear instead. He hoped I would one day become the perfect mercenary. Had I been with him longer, it most likely would have happened.”_

_“Well, he was an idiot,” Trunks countered, earning Vegeta’s surprise. The boy then smiled. “Mama always says that the perfect soldier is one that has something to protect. No matter how bad the odds, when fighting for something or someone of importance, the odds don’t matter.”_

_The prince smirked as he thought about his mate and her words. “Your mother has always been very wise in that regard,” he stated._

_Out of nowhere, the three princes’ stomachs rumbled with hunger. “Ah,” Trunks gasped out in embarrassment while Tarble blushed._

_Vegeta barked out a laugh. “I guess that means we missed lunch. Let’s go boys. We all must keep up our strength.”_

_Both children stood up and saluted him. “Aye, aye, sir!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I just wanted to let people know for this chapter, the history wasn’t being told verbatim to the boys. I added a couple of Celen X Tights scenes that obviously Vegeta nor anyone else would know about, even Nappa since I revealed that Nappa never saw his son again. Sometimes elements of the history will just be for you guys. I debated so long if I was going to do any subsequent scenes between them, and in this chapter, I guess I made my decision. So for future reference, if I add anymore Celen X Tights scenes, know that no one else truly knows about them, unless said otherwise when the boys ask their questions.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

The people of Planet Vegeta were astounded that the king actually formed alliances with outside races. They still had not entered into any kind of agreements with the Galactic Patrol, but it was a start. The Saiyans, Nameks, and Kanassans all wanted to take Frieza down. “We are all in agreement then,” the Saiyan king’s voice boomed in his war room.

A week passed since the alliance was formed and Paragus was dealt with. Celen was now the king’s advisor, and he was the best at dealing with the foreign visitors. The Kanassan king returned to his world, and both Kanassa and Namek sent over a few ambassadors to discuss strategies while reporting the plans to their world leaders.

They came up with a simple plan. Frieza had no idea about the formation of this truce, so it was safe to say that he wasn’t targeting Namek or Vegeta, yet. Kanassa’s mission was marked down as failed, that the race was hostile. Bardock entered some fake power levels into the system that even rivaled the Ginyu force, so Frieza updated the mission as a temporary loss. Once some of his men got in some training, they would try the mission again, but the Saiyans at least bought the Kanassans some time.

The plan was this. Frieza would arrive near Planet Vegeta in three weeks. It wasn’t a lot of time to prepare for battle, but they would. The Nameks and Kanassans had mystical powers and would be able to attack from a distance. The Namek and Saiyan warriors would take the front, and some other Nameks would act as healers. The Saiyans would get stronger during the battle just from being healed. They would need to make sure that they kept the battle closer to the planet, however, which was dangerous. Unfortunately, though, if they got too far away, they would not be able to breathe. They were not built like Frieza’s race.

The king would take a small band of warriors to enter the ship and find his son while Frieza would be distracted by the attack outside the ship. He would send Vegeta down to the planet using one of the ship’s escape pods and then bring him home once the fight was over.

Until this assault, the Saiyans would keep up the act of being loyal. Bardock’s team offered to take a mission on Planet Meat while Bardock remained behind on the planet with his pregnant mate. The woman was due in a few weeks and seemed to be getting weaker at times. That was all anyone knew of her.

In that time, though, Frieza was doing some planning of his own. He noticed that the third-class team left on a mission and left Bardock and his mate back on Planet Vegeta. The mission would take a few weeks, and that was when Dodoria was set to strike. At the tail end of the mission, the warriors would be exhausted, and then Dodoria would take them out. The pink warrior would then head to Planet Vegeta to intercept Frieza when they were to ‘deliver’ the prince and eliminate the third-class once and for all.

Meanwhile, Prince Vegeta continued to struggle psychologically. He surrendered himself to this meaningless life as Frieza’s slave. He gave up being a Saiyan, though Nappa and Raditz were completely unaware of that. They didn’t know what Frieza said or threatened to do, and Vegeta intended to keep it that way. Nappa knew something was wrong, for he sensed a deep depression that no child Vegeta’s age should ever experience. His anxiety was high, though the boy remained composed on the outside. The child wouldn’t confide in the former general, even when he attempted to reach out. Nappa confided in Raditz his concern for Vegeta’s mental health, and the teenager offered to deal with the boy. Raditz was a bit older than Vegeta, but he was closer to the kid’s age than Nappa and he was a neutral party.

One day, Raditz and Vegeta were alone in the room, and Vegeta was as silent as ever, not even releasing a sigh here and there. Raditz observed the boy laid down, spread out on his uncomfortable bed. The prince stared vacantly up at the ceiling. The kid barely moved or blinked at all in the past hour. The prince was retreating inside himself and that wasn’t good. “Hey, Vegeta,” Raditz called out earning the child’s attention. “Come here. I want to show you something.”

Vegeta lifelessly moved from the bed; he walked over to the teenager with crossed arms and narrowed eyes. “What?” he grunted out.

“Here, for you,” Raditz said as he offered the child something that surprised him.

“Kulu fruit?” Vegeta asked skeptically when Raditz handed him a small container of it. The prince flashed him a questioning look, and Raditz simply smirked.

“Yeah, the last intermediate planet we were on had some in the shops,” Raditz explained. “I used some of my earnings of past missions to get some. Thought you’d want it.”

Vegeta actually felt his heart beat fast in excitement before he remembered what he had done in front of Frieza, what he said to the monster. He didn’t move to take the container. “No,” he remarked, “I don’t want it.”

Raditz frowned at the prince. He did not understand the child’s refusal. “Come on. We’re stuck here for a while. The least we can do is have some reminders of home. We’ll be going back soon, too. I’m sure your parents are looking forward to seeing you.”

At that, Vegeta got pissed off and remembered why he hadn’t bothered to form a connection with Raditz. The guy a knack for saying stupid things that set the prince off. They were never going back, and Vegeta could care less about his parents. They were the reason he was there. His father lied to him, and Frieza had him forever. It was best to just let himself accept that he was never going home. “Shut up,” he spat harshly, stunning Raditz. “We will not discuss this. Leave me alone.”

Raditz was irritated by the snub, but he promised Nappa he would at least try with Vegeta. “If you don’t want the fruit,” he said through gritted teeth, “then let’s go and spar. Anything is better than being cooped up in here all day. It’ll keep us sharp for the next mission. What do you say?”

Vegeta was still irritated at the teenager and actually liked the idea of venting out his frustrations in battle. He gave a nod and let Raditz lead the way to the training room. Outside the training room, the gravity was ten times less than their planet, but inside the training room the gravity could be set higher. Vegeta loved the feeling of going into the room and setting it to ten times the ship’s gravity. For a moment, it felt like home even though he was so far from it.

Raditz set up the gravity as soon as they walked in. He let out a sigh of relief and cracked his shoulders. “That’s better,” he remarked before he smirked at the prince. “You ready?”

“Just shut up and fight,” Vegeta ordered. He immediately charged at the other Saiyan.

Raditz easily dodged and flew up in the air before he fired a barrage of ki that rained down upon the boy. Vegeta managed to evade each blast and fired up a beam of his own which only narrowly missed Raditz. “Hey, kid, easy! I could feel how much power was in that thing. We’re sparring, not trying to kill each other.”

“There isn’t much difference,” Vegeta stated as he took off for the sky. “What is this? Having an aerial battle is stupid. I’m much faster in the air than you are.”

“That’s because you’re a kid,” Raditz teased which angered Vegeta as the kid attempted to connect a series of punches and kicks.

Raditz took some of the hits, but only the ones he knew wouldn’t cause much damage. Vegeta was fighting really hard, and Raditz needed to get him to loosen up fast. The prince acted like Raditz was an enemy, and that was a horrible thing to do with a comrade. In the future, Vegeta probably would stop caring whether he and Nappa lived or died. He was already getting into the habit of being alone. “Chill out, princey,” he said in a joking manner. “Again, this is just a spar. You don’t have to go all out.”

“Don’t patronize me!” Vegeta shouted. He punched Raditz so hard with concentrated ki packed behind the punch. Raditz was hit down to the ground and had to fling himself out of the way before Vegeta could barrel down into his stomach.

For a moment, Raditz was concerned for his safety in the fight. Vegeta was really trying to hurt him. _This isn’t good,_ he thought to himself. The prince couldn’t be that far gone yet. “Look, kid, let’s talk,” he suggested, but Vegeta just kept fighting and Raditz had to continuously block his punches. “I don’t want to hurt you, and you don’t want to hurt me.” _I hope._

“Shut up and fight, third-class,” Vegeta snapped harshly, not listening to the teenager one bit.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you, but we are here for you, Vegeta. You need to calm down.”

“Enough!”

Raditz managed to get away and shoot his own attack at Vegeta. It kept Vegeta busy for a moment and gave Raditz the chance to continue speaking. “We all know this sucks, Vegeta, but you can’t act like this. You can’t treat us like enemies. You can’t let yourself fall into depression. You can’t let Frieza win.”

“He’s already won!” Vegeta snarled at Raditz and then aimed a small, precise beam of ki towards the older Saiyan’s heart. Raditz was able to knock the ki away, though it did wound his hand a bit. He was able to shake it off before Vegeta knocked into him hard. Raditz wrapped his arms around the prince and spun around so that he could pin him down to the floor as they crashed down.

Vegeta struggled to get free, but Raditz wouldn’t let him move and forcibly kept him pinned. “Listen, Vegeta,” he said through the boy’s grunts, “we’re here for you. If you need to talk to us—”

“Shut up!” Vegeta yelled. “I don’t need you pity!”

At that, Raditz’s anger flared. “Pity?” he screamed. “You think _this_ is pity. Fuck that, Vegeta. This is far from pity. I’m stuck in the same shitty situation as you. The only difference is that I volunteered. Nappa volunteered. We came to protect you, put ourselves at the mercy of the same bastard we all detest. I don’t pity you, because if I did I’d be pitying myself. I’m trying to empathize with you so that you can see you’re not fucking alone in this. We’re all at risk of losing our minds and sanity to this bastard, so get over whatever the hell happened with him. We’re Saiyans, and we stick together no matter what.”

Vegeta stopped struggling through Raditz’s tirade, his eyes wide with wonder as he slowly turned his head to look up at his comrade. Raditz felt the beginning of a connection form in his mind and sighed in relief. “Can I let you up now?” Vegeta nodded slowly in response, and Raditz did release him from his hold. Vegeta moved to sit on the floor, and Raditz followed suit as the boy took a deep breath to center himself. “You okay?”

“No,” Vegeta admitted for the first time since being on the ship. “No, I am not okay.”

“What happened with Frieza when we got back from the mission?” Raditz tried, expecting to be shot down. Still, he needed to keep Vegeta talking, especially now that a bond formed. He needed to keep Vegeta from withdrawing inside himself. It wasn’t healthy for a Saiyan his age.

“He…he threatened the planet,” Vegeta admitted, “if I didn’t accept that I was his slave and pet. He made me deny being a prince…made me deny being a Saiyan. The people would have died if I hadn’t.”

“Just because you say something doesn’t make it true,” Raditz explained to the boy, finally understanding the kid’s depression. “What you did was very brave and Saiyan-like. Sure, you had to relinquish your pride for a moment, but just in the face of that lizard. To us, you are still our prince, our comrade, a Saiyan. You won the battle. You wanted to make sure Frieza didn’t attack the rest of our race. Well, you made it so. Words are words, kid, not actions. I believe there’s a phrase out there in the universe… Uh, actions speak louder than words? Eh, whatever, you get the picture. You protected a whole people, kid. That action spoke a lot louder than your denial of being a Saiyan.”

“You really mean that?” Vegeta asked hesitantly.

“I do. Look kid, we aren’t going to be here forever. We just have to keep holding out. Nappa and I, we’re going to make sure you get home in one piece or die trying.”

Vegeta was overwhelmed by emotion, relief, thankfulness, and a strange emotion that he had never felt towards anyone but his father in the past—an overwhelming amount of respect and admiration.

“Do you…do you think my father will ever get us out of this?” Vegeta questioned.

Raditz didn’t want to crush the boy’s hope, and he did believe the king would finally find a way out of this. “Yeah, kid, I think so. Saiyans never truly give up, not without a fight.”

A small smirk graced Vegeta’s features before Zarbon entered the training room. He scowled down at the two Saiyans. “Lord Frieza demands an audience with you three. It’s about your next mission.”

“We’ll report momentarily,” Vegeta answered, his voice full of confidence. The boy’s haughty nature made the amphibious alien sneer.

Raditz couldn’t help but laugh at Zarbon’s expense once he was gone. “Well, kid, let’s go hear what that damned frost demon has to say.”

“Frost…demon?” Vegeta guffawed.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Raditz muttered as he scratched the back of his head. “Something I’ve heard Nappa mutter here and there. It fits.”

* * *

_“At least Uncle Raditz was there,” Trunks stated. “I would hate to think what it would have been like going through that alone.”_

_Vegeta watched as his son grew pensive. “If you’re wondering about your future self, he had both your mother and Kakarot. He was not alone, but he had been with King Cold much, much longer than I had been with Frieza. He was there for more than a decade. I was with Frieza for six months.”_

_“Still,” Tarble interjected, “it sounds like each of those months was a year. I can’t even imagine having to do all of that in such a short time.”_

_“Just be thankful you don’t,” Vegeta replied to his brother. “With the power level you were born with, father would have needed to send you away for protection so that Frieza wouldn’t get to you either. You would have never had the opportunity to live that way.”_

_Tarble looked a little upset by that, but Trunks patted his shoulder. “Hey, it didn’t happen, so don’t be bothered by it. You’re very strong and getting stronger every day.”_

_“Trunks is right,” Vegeta assured the boy. “You have gone above and beyond anyone’s expectations, and you both continue to grow stronger.”_

_“We’ll be ready for Cooler if he ever shows his frosty face.”_

_Vegeta chuckled at his son’s dramatics. He couldn’t deny that they were all ready for the last Arcosian royal. Over the years, a lot of advances had been made with both the soldiers and the technology. The alliance was ready to take on the final tyrant, but they had to wait for him to strike. Once he did, they would know and take him down, just as they did Frieza._

* * *

Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz arrived at Frieza’s throne room and all knelt down before the creep. The prince gained his confidence back and glared up at the tyrant. Frieza’s sickening smile shifted to a frown when he saw that Vegeta’s defiance returned. He only saw the boy the previous day, and the boy was almost like a walking corpse. Something happened to restore the monkey’s faith, and the Arcosian felt he knew the answer.

“You wanted to see us?” Vegeta questioned, his voice even.

“Yes,” Frieza said with a grin. Perhaps the tyrant was wrong, and Vegeta was still loyal to him and accepted his fate. “I have another assignment for you three. Three planets nearby to each other are planning an uprising. Go and slaughter all three races. You have three weeks.”

“What?” the Saiyans all asked in shock.

Nappa spoke up. “Lord Frieza, clearing out a planet can sometimes take three months let alone three weeks.”

“Then you better get ready to leave,” Frieza responded, his voice full of amusement. “You see, I’m unsure which of the planets has a barrack for the Galactic Patrol, so all three must be eliminated.”

“How can we wipe out three races in such a short time?” Vegeta questioned.

Frieza’s attention shifted to the boy as he said, “Simple, child. Destroy the whole planet.”

“Come again?” Nappa asked the same time Raditz replied, “What?”

Vegeta looked like he had been kicked in the gut. He shook his head. He couldn’t do to someone what Frieza wanted to do to his home world, but Frieza would destroy his people if he disobeyed. “We will take care of it,” Vegeta declared, his voice quiet and empty.

“Hm,” the demon hummed. “Good. Then that will be all. Nappa, Raditz, you are dismissed. Prepare to leave within the hour.”

Raditz hesitated and looked back to the prince. “Don’t worry. Vegeta will join you shortly.”

Vegeta flashed Raditz a glare; his emotions demanded his comrade not argue. The teenager nodded to the prince and took his leave with Nappa.

Frieza waited until the other two Saiyans were gone. “You know, Vegeta,” Frieza sinisterly murmured, “caring for others is a liability.”

Vegeta was stunned by the words, but he regained his composure, his face expressionless. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You do,” Frieza returned. “Caring about your people gave me leverage against you.” Vegeta didn’t react. “Caring about you two ‘comrades’, is it? That gives me even more power.” This time the prince visibly reacted. “I expect to see at least one of the planets gone from the directory. If not, I’ll pick one of your monkey friends and end him myself. You’ll watch, of course.”

Raditz and Nappa both felt fear, anger, and hatred and exchanged glances. Frieza must have said something else to set the prince off. They both tried to get Vegeta to talk to them when he came out of the lair, but the prince refused to acknowledge them. Whatever Frieza said to the prince, though, determined how the mission would go.

* * *

_Trunks and Tarble didn’t know what to say. They didn’t even know what to think as they looked to each other, both felt a chill. Neither child could imagine what it would be like, right now at their ages, to be given a decision like that. How could anyone expect someone to not protect their friend? On the other hand, how could anyone force a child to destroy a world?_

_Vegeta sighed, thankful that neither child asked him to continue. He needed a minute to regain his bearings. No one ever knew what Frieza said to him that day. As Vegeta told Bulma, he didn’t want her knowing details. She never experienced such horrors except from whatever nightmare she had that her father forced her to forget for a while. Still, it didn’t make sense to Vegeta why he decided to tell the boys. It had been decades and he never told a single soul. Maybe he just needed to get it all off his chest, and somehow these untainted children were the ones he decided to tell. A part of him felt guilty for burdening them with all of it._

_“Dad…have I ever said thank you for stopping King Cold?” Trunks asked, his voice wavered. “Because after hearing all of this, I’m really glad I never had to do this stuff.”_

_“Yeah, me too,” Tarble agreed with a nod. “It’s hard to believe that they really existed. It sounds like something out of a monster movie. How did you even get through all of that? If it were me, even after…”_

_“It took a very long time, Tarble,” Vegeta answered. “For the longest time, I was a shadow of myself. Everyone was an enemy, and only few people could be trusted. When I was sent to Earth, I was a mess, though I hid it fairly well. I couldn’t even bring myself to enter the nursery when you were born.”_

_“Why?” Tarble asked, feeling saddened. “Didn’t you want to see me?”_

_“Of course I did,” Vegeta assured him. He pulled the boy in his lap. “Tarble, after all of the things I did, I was ashamed. It took me years to accept that I wasn’t like that bastard, but even so, I was still tainted by the past. I couldn’t push past it just like I couldn’t push past that door to visit before I left for school.”_

_“Before you left for school?” Trunks demanded. “But you met Mom when you got to school.”_

_“We did,” Vegeta stated. “She saw Tarble before I ever did. She helped me get over the feelings of inadequacy, and I finally was able to see you. You and I bonded instantly.”_

_“I remember feeling something, but I was so little, I just didn’t know what it was,” Tarble pondered. “I remember feeling really happy.”_

_Vegeta smirked. “I was too.”_

_“Papa,” Trunks called out, “you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Everything that happened wasn’t really your fault. I know you had to do bad stuff, but it’s not like you wanted to at first. Even if it became stress release to you later, who could really blame you? He threatened everyone.”_

_Vegeta’s grip on his brother tightened. He was surprised to hear Trunks say those words but even more so because Trunks actually believed his own words. He ruffled the boy’s hair which caused the child to giggle and jokingly push his father’s hand away. Trunks’s admiration could be seen the instant he looked up at the man. “I have come to learn that, Trunks, but I still remember a time when I couldn’t believe it.”_

* * *

The Saiyans were en route to the system which contained the three planets. Vegeta hardly said a word to the other two soldiers, and they were worried. They couldn’t sense any of the prince’s emotions meaning that the prince was truly felt nothing. Numbness was not a normal emotion. Not for a boy his age.

 _“Hey, Vegeta,”_ Raditz called over the scouter. _“Are you all right?”_

Vegeta didn’t respond at first, but then he raised a shaky hand to press a button on his scouter. “Focus on the mission.” He then shut his scouter off so that neither Saiyan could communicate with him.

Though Vegeta had become more violent and able to handle humanoid races, he still never destroyed a planet and he never planned to. But Frieza made sure to mandate it, now. If he wanted to protect his people and the only two comrades he had, he needed to follow orders. One planet needed to go down.

Even though the system was far, Vegeta refused to start the stasis and changed the coordinates in his ship. Nappa and Raditz could get started on one of the planets, but Vegeta was going to hit the first planet, destroy it, and then hurry off to final planet and start taking it himself. They had no time at all, and the prince was strong. He knew he could get a lot done on the last planet. When Nappa and Raditz were done with the other world, they would join him. They’d get it done in the three weeks even if the deadline seemed impossible.

The pod stopped just outside the planet’s atmosphere. Vegeta knew he couldn’t be out in space for a significant amount of time but could be long enough to launch one single attack. The planet was a small, light green orb. To any outsider, it was beautiful. Even Vegeta could admire it, but he had to steel himself. The Saiyan outstretched his hand and readied a ki blast, but he could not bring himself to release it. The second he did, all lives would be taken unexpectedly. Maybe that would be a blessing for the people when they were destroyed. They wouldn’t know what was going on until the instant it happened. Was that better than trying to barter for your life?

His hand shook and a frown formed on his face. Vegeta didn’t know what was wrong with him. This was something he needed to do, but he just couldn’t. Instead, he decided to head for the planet and do the purging the old-fashioned way. He would have to think of something for the last planet, for he still needed to destroy something to protect Nappa or Raditz. Even if Frieza took one of them, like he said, Vegeta would never recover. He needed both of them if he was going to keep his sanity.

The world seemed very remote. Deep jungle surrounded him on all sides. Vegeta landed in a clearing and started to search for life with his scouter. There was no life to be detected meaning they were hiding underground, and Vegeta realized he should have destroyed the small globe. Finding an entrance to the underground would take forever.

“Crap, crap, crap!” a small alien with big yellow eyes, a blue face, and purple skin exclaimed. He wore the white Galactic Patrol armor. “What is he doing here?”

Another patrolman froze and shook his head. “Frieza must have suspected our location. He sent the Saiyan prince to eliminate us, Jaco.”

“Ha! Well, that’s if he finds us, Mari. Scouters shouldn’t be able to track us down here. Tights made sure of that. She created that force field that scrambles the devices.”

All of a sudden, an alert appeared on the screen, and Jaco’s and Mari’s commanding officer appeared on the screen. “Jaco, you’re needed for a mission?”

Both patrolmen gasped, and Jaco exclaimed, “N-now? Commander, Prince Vegeta has touched down on the planet. We can’t leave here or we risk being detected.”

“There’s no time!” the commander exclaimed. “Here, I’m sending you a bunch of files. You need to get them to Tights for dispatch. It’s about the Arcosian royals. They’re planning on a massive purge of planets in the next few weeks.”

“But Tights is on Planet Vegeta with Celen! I’ll be killed!”

“No,” the commander assured him. “The prince doesn’t know this, but his father allied with the Kanassans and Nameks. They’re planning to challenge Frieza, and they need the information. It gives the day that Frieza will enter their system, three days earlier than they’re expecting!”

“Frieza wants to destroy Planet Vegeta?” Jaco questioned, knowing his friend was there. He swallowed hard and said, “Okay. I’ll take the information to Tights, but what about the prince?”

“Don’t engage him,” his commander ordered. “Frieza cannot know that the Saiyans are against him.”

“O-okay,” Jaco hesitated as he removed a drive onto which he loaded the files. “Well, Mari…wish me luck.”

Vegeta couldn’t find any entrances, even in the caves and growled in frustration, and he took his anger out on a large tree. He now wanted to destroy the rock out of principle. Hours went by, and he found no inkling of life, not even animals to hunt for food. If he didn’t find anything by the end of the day, he was going to leave the planet and destroy it.

By now, Nappa and Raditz were on the other world, and they started the purge without him. He heard them ask each other where he was, but neither Saiyan had any answers. Nappa told Raditz they didn’t have time to wonder, but they both knew he was still alive because of the bond. That was all he could give them in that moment.

Beeps and squeals emanated from his eyepiece which indicated movement and life. Vegeta instantly took off for the signal and saw a small alien running to a ship covered in the brush. The prince smirked. He was going to enjoy ending the creature’s life.

He landed right in front of the alien and immediately noticed the armor. Jaco looked up at him in fear after he was blown back by the Saiyan’s energy. The prince looked angry, dangerous, hardened. Jaco gulped down his fear and said, “H-hello, Prince Vegeta. What brings you here?”

Vegeta simply rolled his eyes. “If it isn’t a Galactic Patrolman,” he sneered. “I’m guessing I found the planet Frieza wanted me to destroy. Your base is stationed here, isn’t it? That’s why I couldn’t get readings. You’ve hidden yourselves from the scouter’s detection.” The prince tapped his eyepiece for good measure and smirked. “I’ll just kill you and then destroy the planet. Then maybe the other two can be spared.”

“P-Prince Vegeta,” Jaco tried, “listen to me. I’m on your side, really. You have to let me go.”

“Why should I?”

Jaco knew that his commander didn’t want him to tell the prince, but now that the prince engaged him. The patrolman needed to protect himself. He decided to tell a half-truth. “Prince Vegeta, Frieza is out to destroy your planet. I was going to warn them that he’d be heading there earlier than expected to destroy the place…three weeks exactly from today, three days before he’s scheduled.”

Vegeta’s eyes widened and his heart stopped. How did the patrolman know what day they were scheduled to return to Vegeta? He knew he couldn’t be deceiving him, but a part of him didn’t want to believe it. “W-what? You’re lying!”

“I’m not, honest!” Jaco said and waved his arms wildly. “L-look, it’s not a stretch. I’ll let you in on a Galactic Patrol secret… Frieza and his family have been destroying certain worlds. Not so much Cooler, but Frieza and King Cold have been taking fighters or scientists from planets deemed threatening to them and their rule. In three weeks, even Cooler will take part in a massive purge. You have to believe me. I need to bring this information to your parents.”

Vegeta felt completely numb. He knew what Frieza was capable of, but his parents and people didn’t. He was caught at a crossroads—to follow Frieza’s command and protect his comrades and himself or to let this patrol agent go and possibly save his entire race as the cost of his, Nappa’s, and Raditz’s life. He knew what he wanted, and he knew what was right, and they weren’t the same thing. “I-I,” he tried to reply before he shut his scouter off completely and removed it from his face. He stomped on the device and broke it which set off an emergency signal to Raditz and Nappa. Then, he looked to the patrolman. “Shoot me.”

“Huh?” Jaco asked, but Vegeta simply stood in front of him and faced him. The young boy looked so confident and determined.

“Shoot. Me.” He enunciated each word slowly. “Warn them. They can evacuate or prepare. You need to shoot me. Make it look like someone got the drop on me.”

“But, Frieza will know you came here, won’t he?”

“If you’re so worried, then warn whoever’s left in the base and they’ll leave. Even if Frieza destroys the planet, you rats can continue to spy on him.”

“Why would you do this?” Jaco questioned. “What’s in it for you?”

“Saving my people,” Vegeta responded, his voice even. “Now shoot me and leave. Nappa and Raditz will come for me soon.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Jaco murmured before he readied his blaster. He aimed it at the prince but didn’t shoot. “Are…are you really sure about this?”

Vegeta nodded. “It’s nothing. Trust me. I’ll be in for worse later.”

Jaco looked horrified, but he got his nerve and shot off the gun. It shattered Vegeta’s armor and tore up some of the spandex. Vegeta still stood tall, was only a bit burnt. He looked so calm before he told Jaco to shoot him again. The agent was hesitant, but he understood what Vegeta wanted.

By the time Vegeta was hit a fifth time, he felt to his knees and then fell to the ground. “Prince Vegeta! Are you all right?”

The prince managed to open his eyes, his body burnt and exhausted. “I’m fine,” he answered honestly. “Now, go. Warn them.”

“I…” Jaco attempted to say something, but there was nothing he could say so he simply left the prince and warned the base to evacuate. He felt bad—leaving the child alone there—but it was what the Saiyan wanted. The brave boy made a sacrifice for his planet, and Jaco was going to make sure his people were warned.

* * *

_Trunks and Tarble were stunned. Vegeta told them earlier that he was ashamed by his actions, and they assumed that meant he destroyed the planet. He let them believe that, yet both boys knew it was a lie. No matter what the prince told himself, he let a Galactic Patrolman attack him knowing that Frieza would punish him for failing the mission. They could say nothing, just like Jaco, but both felt awe towards their father/brother._

_Vegeta felt their amazement, and he could understand why. As he told them about Frieza’s command about destroying a planet, he knew they mentally prepared themselves for the worst. They believed he would say he destroyed a world. Thankfully, it never came to that, and because Vegeta failed the mission early, been injured by another, Frieza took it out on him instead of Raditz and Nappa. Vegeta kept telling Jaco to shoot him because the injuries he received would take a couple of weeks to heal in the healing chamber. By that time, they would be on the way back to Planet Vegeta._

_Eventually, Trunks chanced a break in the silence. “So…” he murmured, “the guy was able to get the information back to Celen’s assistant?”_

_Vegeta nodded. “That was when my father and mother found out she was part of the Galactic Patrol and that Celen had been as well.” Trunks remained silent that Nappa already informed the queen before he left for Frieza’s ship. “At first, Father was insanely angry, but he realized that Celen joined to get information on Frieza and what he planned to do to his home world. Because Celen took such risk for Planet Vegeta, he was pardoned, as was his assistant. But because of what I did, Frieza planned to send Dodoria to enact his plan.”_

_“What was his plan?” Tarble asked._

_Vegeta looked to the boy. “Well, his goal was to wipe out the strongest team, and even though Bardock’s team was full of third-classes, they were defiant and Frieza wanted them gone. He sent Dodoria after them, and then they went for Bardock. That was how his mate died. Bardock stayed behind after his mate went into labor.”_

_“That’s low,” Trunks growled._

_“It was,” Vegeta agreed, “but you know that these bastards weren’t one for propriety.”_

_Vegeta’s eyes wandered to the clock in his office, and he realized that it was getting late. “It’s past your bedtime. We’ll continue tomorrow.”_

_“Aw!” they exclaimed._

_“You can’t leave us hanging like that!” Trunks argued._

_Vegeta chuckled and hoisted his son in his arms. “Blame your mother, kid. She’ll have my head if you aren’t in bed.”_

_“Oh, fine,” Trunks huffed and crossed his arms. “But you have to tell us the rest tomorrow.”_

_“We’ll see,” the prince said with a smirk. He looked over to Tarble. “Tell Mother I said ‘good night’.”_

_“Sure thing, brother!” Tarble assured him before he took off for the other side of the palace._

_As Vegeta neared Trunks’s room—mentally chuckled when the boy yawned—he patted his head. “Dad?” Trunks whispered, earning the Saiyan’s full attention. “You…why did you do it? I know you wanted to help the planet and all, but you knew Frieza would want to hurt you. What you did seemed so different than what you’ve kept implying about yourself.”_

_Vegeta shrugged. “To this day, I don’t know how my mind shifted. That was a turning point for me. Raditz told me I was still a Saiyan and that, in protecting the planet, I proved myself. I needed to keep the people safe, regardless of what it would have done to me. As for Nappa and Raditz, I knew they would have done the same. It needed to be done.”_

_Trunks yawned again and then nodded. “I’m glad you let the patrolman go. Did you ever get his name?”_

_Vegeta gave a curt nod. “He gave it to Father. His name was Jaco.”_

_Trunks eyes widened in response._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

Vegeta damned himself when he let the patrolman go, and his two Saiyan comrades were reluctant to make the call back to base that Vegeta was horribly injured and needed life-saving treatment. Once he was healed, they knew Frieza would land him back in the infirmary immediately. They did not want this to happen to their prince. Unfortunately, they had no choice, and Nappa alerted Frieza. As expected, the tyrant remained deathly silent before he demanded they return.

Frieza was waiting for them in the infirmary when they returned. The monster grimaced at the child’s unconscious form before he stepped aside. Raditz handed Vegeta off to the medical crew. Frieza left them, said nothing about the mission’s progress. Nappa was terrified over Frieza’s reaction, or lack thereof, but his primary concern was Vegeta. Who had done this to him?

Meanwhile, Jaco raced to Planet Vegeta to warn the royal family. When he arrived, he was apprehended and thrown down before the king and queen. Where the king glared at him, the queen seemed confused but not angered by his presence. “What is Galactic Patrolman doing on our soil? You are not welcome.”

“I know,” Jaco said, his voice quiet but confident. “Your Majesty, I am here to warn you on behalf of the Galactic Patrol and your son. Frieza is coming to destroy you.”

The queen nearly stood up when he mentioned her son and looked over to her mate in alarm. She refused to let him hurt someone that might tell her how her son was faring. The king also softened slightly, and then demanded all but Celen and Zorn leave the room. “What do you know of my son?” he demanded once they were alone.

Jaco sighed and said, “Prince Vegeta touched down on the planet where we had one of our bases. My commanding officer sent me documentation explaining that you allied with the Kanassans and Nameks against Frieza. Frieza’s family is planning a massive purge of many planets, and they will arrive here three days early. I was tasked with getting the information to one of our members hiding out here.” Celen flashed Jaco a glare, a warning for him to be careful. He didn’t want anything the alien said to put his mate and child in danger. “We needed to get the information spread everywhere before the three tyrants eliminate all those worlds. I ran into Prince Vegeta as I left, and he was going to fulfill whatever mission Frieza assigned to him, but when I told him Frieza would be coming in three weeks exactly, three days earlier than scheduled, he let me go and told me wound him so that Frieza would think he failed.”

“How do we believe this?” the king growled. “You just admitted to hurting my son! And having an informant on our planet! Who is he?”

Celen’s heart froze, especially when he felt a familiar energy entering the throne room. What was Tights doing there? _Stay away!_ he shouted in his mind, hoping she’d sense his distress. Unfortunately, she took his adamancy as a cry for help and entered the room without permission. When her eyes landed on Jaco, she uttered his name and that sent the king raging.

“Jaco?”

The king’s attention immediately shifted to her and then landed on Celen demanding an explanation. “Did you know she was part of the Galactic Patrol?”

Celen didn’t want Tights to be put any more at risk, but he refused to let her deal with this alone. “Yes.”

Tights gasped and then tried to refute his claim. “Your Majesty, Celen had no idea—”

“Did I ask for your input, alien?” the king bellowed. His glared centered on Celen once again before he asked, “How could you betray us like this? After all we’ve done for you?”

“Your Majesty, it was not betrayal,” he countered. “I joined the Galactic Patrol to help others mainly, but I also did it to get information on what Frieza intended to do to the Saiyans, our people. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines knowing that he wanted us dead. She is honestly my medical assistant, but she is also an informant. She was the one who found out about Paragus after I made the connection. Sir, we only wanted to protect the royal family.”

Although the king was enraged, the queen finally stood up and walked over to the man. “Celen, I knew,” she admitted. She shocked both her friend’s son and her mate.

“What?!” King Vegeta shouted.

Celen was speechless, and the queen ignored her mate’s outburst. “Your father asked me to protect you if anyone else ever found out. He was worried you would not be able to keep quiet for long. I went along with it because I knew that where you betrayed the PTO as a whole, you remained loyal to the Saiyan crown. For that, you and your assistant will not be punished.”

“Kalina, you have no right—”

The queen turned to face him. “Tell me, Vegeta, what wrong have they committed? Just because they joined doesn’t mean they harmed us in any way. We are against Frieza, just as the Galactic Patrol is against Frieza. They did everything to warn and protect us. Nappa left to protect our child so he wouldn’t suffer alone. If you really wanted to honor Nappa’s sacrifice, you would listen to Celen instead of claiming betrayal and treason. They remained loyal to us, not Frieza. Can’t that be enough for you?”

The king let his mate’s words reach him, finally, and nodded. He observed the fearful alien woman. “It is, for now. Woman, what did you have to gain from all of this?”

“Your Majesty,” she said warily, “it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t sit back and watch people suffer. I apologize for deceiving you, but I knew you wouldn’t have listened. I would have been killed, and I couldn’t let that happen either. Plus, you would have charged one of your own for treason. I just couldn’t allow that. I am sorry.”

Jaco stood from his kneeling position. “And I am too, for not being able to warn you sooner and for your son. He was so brave, Your Majesty. He asked that I attack him. He never looked away, just told me to keep shooting. He said he could handle it.”

King Vegeta smirked. “That boy,” he said fondly before he grew serious. “You are sure Frieza is coming in three weeks.”

“I am,” Jaco replied. He looked to Tights. “Uh, we need to get the information to the other planets so that they will be aware.”

Tights looked to the two royals, and they nodded. Celen moved to go with her, but the king’s glare stopped him. Jaco was dismissed, sent with Tights to Celen’s home to get the information to the other worlds. Celen, unfortunately, was not getting a break. “You need to help me make preparations. We’re getting my son off of that ship.”

Celen stood tall and bowed to the man. “Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize as well for lying to you. It was not to betray your trust. I only wished to protect everyone.”

“Well, now that we know about Frieza’s sneak arrival, you have.”

* * *

_“Celen could sense energy?” Trunks asked._

_Vegeta nodded. “At the time, he was the only one who could. He learned it from a different alien species,” he explained. “I believe Nappa picked up on the skill as well, somehow.”_

_“And the girl was able to warn the planets?” Tarble questioned hopefully._

_“She was,” Vegeta answered. “But it put a target on her back. You see, Frieza and his father had no idea that the Saiyans knew about the purge, but one of the planets Celen’s assistant informed had a mole, and because of that Frieza was not the only one in our system the day of the battle.”_

_“No,” Trunks said, his expression dark. “N-Nappa…he said he never saw Celen again…”_

_A grim nod was Vegeta’s response. “That’s right. Cooler came to the system and sent his fighters. Mostly everyone else was off-planet fighting Frieza and rescuing me. Three of his men were tasked with finding Celen and his assistant and killing them. Celen was able to ship the woman off to another world while he fought the aliens off, but he died in battle. No one saw him again, and the woman was never heard from. Cooler’s subordinate found her coordinates and followed her to whichever planet Celen sent her. He erased the coordinates so no one would be able to send backup.”_

_“That’s horrible.”_

_“I know,” Vegeta replied. “Most likely, she died at the hands of Cooler’s men, and the planet he probably sent her to was her home planet.”_

_Trunks felt a horrible pain in his chest, his hand moved there. He couldn’t believe that Celen and Tights, two of Planet Vegeta’s greatest heroes, perished. Now, he felt even more sadness, for Nappa hadn’t only lost his mate and son, but he lost his daughter-in-law and grandchild also. Vegeta felt his son’s distress and placed his strong hand on his head. “Don’t worry, boy. We’ll make him pay.”_

_The young prince’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded. He truly believed that his father was right._

* * *

When Vegeta awoke, he was wet and cold. He realized he must have been taken out of the tank some time ago and hadn’t woken up. It was strange because he didn’t take much damage from the blaster, at least not enough where he wouldn’t wake. It was then a doctor entered the room and looked at the young boy with a grim expression. He moved to work and took an IV out of Vegeta’s arm. Vegeta watched the doctor cautiously wary of the fact that he wasn’t speaking.

Once the doctor left, Vegeta felt dread. The alien didn’t say he could leave, didn’t tell him his condition or review the information. He simply walked right out the door and turned down the hall with a troubled look on his face. This never happened to Vegeta before. He remembered everything that happened and knew Frieza was most likely angry with him for failing the mission. He would be in for it later, when Frieza summoned him. Vegeta mentally accepted this and got up from the bed.

As soon as his feet tapped the ground making a distinct click, he turned and saw a very displeased Frieza standing in front of him. Vegeta steeled himself to appear neutral but inside his heart thumped hard against his ribcage. Frieza never came to personally get him, ever. Vegeta was loath to admit it to himself and anyone else, but he was terrified. The Arcosian prince was going to kill him. He just knew it.

“Come with me.”

Those three words froze Vegeta’s soul, and the expression ‘frost demon’ that Raditz and Nappa used seemed incredibly accurate. Knowing he was already on thin ice, Vegeta stood up straight and complied. “Yes, sir.”

The little Saiyan followed Frieza and never missed a step. If anyone saw him, they would never be able to tell how frightened he was by whatever was about to happen. Vegeta realized, as Frieza brought him to the viewing dock, that they were in front of the planet where Vegeta failed. The young prince tried not to react and merely looked up at Frieza. The Arcosian wore a frown and looked unamused and irritated, something Vegeta knew no one would ever want to see.

“I gave you a simple task,” the tyrant spoke with bite to his voice. “Destroy at least one planet, find the Galactic Patrol base on this side of the galaxy, and take out the remaining populations. None of the mission objectives were completed, and I can hardly blame the other two for they actually performed well on the job until your scouter’s distress signal went off. Tell me, Vegeta, how did anyone get the drop on you?”

Vegeta didn’t know how to answer for really no one had. He let the patrolman go so that his people might have some warning. How long had it been since the failed mission?

When Vegeta didn’t answer, the Arcosian sighed and said, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

Before Vegeta could ask what the Arcosian meant, Frieza moved to exit the ship. He stood outside in front of the planet. He had given Vegeta a task hoping the boy would complete it. The Arcosian wanted Vegeta to find the Galactic Patrol base and destroy it and the strong soldiers stationed there. Of course, Frieza couldn’t have guessed that the base housed a whole bunch of non-fighters. As Vegeta watched Frieza destroy not only the jungle world but the other two as well, his heart nearly stopped. Frieza was making an example of these planets, destroyed them all directly in front of him. Vegeta was relieved that he let the patrolman warn the people of the jungle world, but that still left the other two planets full of unsuspecting people who were just going about their day. The prince could not believe it.

Frieza then entered the ship once again and glared heatedly down at the boy. Vegeta had to resist the urge to step back. He couldn’t afford to show Frieza any weakness now. “Vegeta,” Frieza called, his voice dark and cold. “I have been patient with you, beyond patient, and yet you still find ways to defy me. I have trained you, provided you with knowledge and education no other would receive. Do you remember the planet with the king, what I taught you about questions?”

“Yes, sir,” Vegeta remarked, not understanding why Frieza would bring that moment up. It still haunted Vegeta. It was a month back and Frieza asked Vegeta to tag along to meet with this king to discuss a possible resistance troop stationed there. He didn’t even ask the king any questions before he shot him dead. When Vegeta questioned him on it, Frieza said that he knew all he needed to know, and to think first and ask questions later. There was no need to talk, just probable cause to attack.

When Frieza took out a small device and pressed a button, Vegeta knew he was screwed, just as soon as he heard the static-filled and warbly conversation. _“If it isn’t a Galactic Patrolman. I’m guessing I found the planet Frieza wanted me to destroy. Your base is stationed here, isn’t it? That’s why I couldn’t get readings. You’ve hidden yourselves from the scouter’s detection. I’ll just kill you and then destroy the planet. Then maybe the other two can be spared.”_

_“P-Prince Vegeta, listen to me. I’m on your side, really. You have to let me go.”_

_“Why should I?”_

_“Prince Vegeta, Frieza is out to destroy your planet. I was going to warn them that he’d be heading there earlier than expected to destroy the place…three weeks exactly from today, three days before he’s scheduled.”_

_“W-what? You’re lying!”_

_“I’m not, honest! L-look, it’s not a stretch. I’ll let you in on a Galactic Patrol secret… Frieza and his family have been destroying certain worlds. Not so much Cooler, but Frieza and King Cold have been taking fighters or scientists from planets deemed threatening to them and their rule. In three weeks, even Cooler will take part in a massive purge. You have to believe me. I need to bring this information to your parents.”_

_“I-I…”_ And then the line went dead.

Frieza stopped the recording and eyed the prince whose countenance changed from neutral to downright shocked and horrified. Vegeta’s wide and shaky eyes met Frieza’s as he tried to swallow and say anything that he could to defend himself. “I will break my rule of questions once, Vegeta. Did you destroy your scouter and let the patrolman go to your parents?”

Vegeta could hardly speak but he finally regained enough composure to say, “No, Lord Frieza. I was caught off-guard while the patrolman was speaking to me.”

Frieza seemed to ponder his answer. Vegeta spoke it with such sincerity. Even though it was a lie, it would have been easy enough for the Arcosian to buy it. The Saiyan just hoped it would be enough.

Frieza then snickered, his slight amusement returned. “Hm, then it was your own fault for not practicing my teachings.” Vegeta stiffened. “Come now, Vegeta, you do realize there is no way to get out of this.” The Arcosian’s eyes narrowed and cut Vegeta very deeply. “You may have just cost us our empire, you vile little monkey, and for that you will pay dearly.”

“L-Lord Frieza,” Vegeta tried, “you were able to destroy the planet. Chances are—”

“Nothing. Chances are nothing, Vegeta. You’ve had a great deal of chances, and now it’s time for you to see just what happens to someone who not only fails me but defies me and refuses to follow my every order. By the time I’m done with you, you will have wished I killed you, my pet.”

Vegeta didn’t know what to do as Frieza struck him hard in the gut. It caused the prince to cough up a large amount of blood. Next, the Arcosian hit him in the back and then disappeared and reappeared to where the boy had flown through the air only to hit him again. Vegeta tried to fly out of the pattern, but Frieza was way too fast and strong. He couldn’t focus his ki as Freiza continued to use him as a plaything. It wasn’t until Frieza caught him that the torment stopped.

Of course, Frieza had a lot more in store for him, and they had a full week before the reached Planet Vegeta. Frieza didn’t care if that patrolman went to Planet Vegeta. The end result would be the same. All they were was a race of weak monkeys, and they definitely weren’t strong enough at that point in life to take on the Arcosian and his array of transformations.

* * *

_“He…he tortured you?” Tarble breathed out as he willed himself not to let his emotions take hold. The little prince realized he was more emotional than most Saiyans, but he still tried his best to be as strong-willed as his brother who had gone through all of this trauma._

_Vegeta’s countenance seemed strange, like he was giving a report instead of an account on something personal that happened to him. Honestly, the older prince needed to remain as detached as possible. He wouldn’t be able to get through this part of the history unless he did. Remembering it, all he just spoke, Vegeta didn’t realize what he said until it was all out there. “He did. For one whole week. He was right. By the time he was done, I wished I was dead. I almost did die. When our father found me, I was so far gone that they didn’t know if I’d survive.”_

_He felt Trunks’s anger rise. Knowing how the boy felt about injustice, not to mention the fact that Trunks knew that sort of life would have been his own, caused the child to feel emotions Vegeta hoped he would never have to experience. “Trunks, come here.”_

_“No,” the boy replied as he glared out the window and looked over the city. “I can’t. If I do… I’m just so pissed off that he did that to you…that Cold would have… It makes me want to find Cooler now and end him.”_

_“Trunks,” Vegeta sighed. He got up from his seat and stood beside the child. They both looked over the city under the black and purple sky just as Vegeta had done with Bulma all those years ago. “You are strong, and you get stronger every day, but you do not yet have the experience you need to take on any Arcosian. I promise you that you will learn, and you will be ready for when they strike, but right now you need to focus on the things here and around you. That is something your mother taught me.” When Trunks didn’t respond, Vegeta frowned. “Maybe we should stop for now.”_

_At that, Trunks became alarmed. “No,” he pleaded before he looked down in shame. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I want to know, but it makes me so angry that someone could do something like that to someone I care about. It just makes me feel so…so… I can’t even think of the word.”_

Enraged _, Vegeta told himself. That deep, fiery rage he felt everyday towards the Arcosian race was exactly what his child felt in response to the story. Vegeta couldn’t fault him, but it did amaze him. Trunks was far beyond his years and felt things that even Saiyan children rarely felt at his age nowadays. He was reminded of Bulma, the gruesome things she dreamt up, and wondered if her perception and ability to think and take on others’ emotions had been passed down to their son. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it made Vegeta realize Trunks was ready for a lot more than he thought. He was ready to be trained to fight with others that had more experience. Vegeta would keep that in mind and most likely allow his son to begin training with army, as long as Bulma agreed to it, of course._

_“You don’t need to give an emotion a name to feel it,” he assured the boy. “Just relax. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come, but you already know the outcome. I may have gone through all of that, but what we’re living in now is our reality.” Trunks looked up at his father as the man picked him up. “I may have suffered then, but now I have you. I have your mother and Tarble. The relationship between my parents and me has gotten better. All of this that I am telling you, it’s just a distant memory now.”_

_“Yeah,” the boy replied and hugged his father. “You’re right. I…think I’m ready to hear the rest now… If you’re willing to tell it.”_

_Vegeta looked out to the night sky knowing it was well past their bedtime. Of course, Bulma had gone to bed very early, and his mother and father were on a trip together. There was no harm in letting the boys stay up just a little later._

* * *

“Stop fidgeting,” Celen ordered as Tights paced back and forth. “Everything is going to be fine.”

“We don’t know that,” Tights argued. She sighed and then looked her mate in the eye. “I know you’re right, but I just feel like something terrible is going to happen. We may be prepared, and the other worlds were warned, but what if Frieza just can’t be defeated.”

Celen walked up to the woman and held her in place. “He will be. I promise you that. All thanks to you.”

The woman smiled at the Saiyan. “And you, too.” She took a deep breath and then decided to change the subject a bit. “I can’t believe next week will be Christmas back home. Once the battle is over, we should go. We know it won’t go over well if an ‘alien child’ is born on Saiyan soil.”

Celen chuckled. “I can’t wait to see your sister again. Her and your mom are the only ones who seem to like me.”

“Don’t take it personally,” Tights tried to assure the man. “My father is very…um… I can’t think of a good word, but you have to realize he’s had a tough time with his own life and marriage. He and my mother had me out of wedlock, and his father demanded he choose between my mother and his inheritance. My grandfather didn’t like that my mother came from a broken home where her father was in prison.”

Celen knew the story, for Tights told him when they had their night. It was difficult to hear Tights speak of her imprisoned grandfather whom she loved so dearly. Her father never liked the idea of her going to see the man with her mother, but he did nothing to stop them. Still, it was hard to hear Tights think she was the cause of all of her father’s problems and the problems in her parents’ marriage—the reason she felt the need to escape her world. Where the two loved each other, there was still always a distance there because they got married after only dating six months when the mother found herself pregnant. Of course, her grandfather treated her and her younger sister very well from what Celen saw.

Only Tights’s parents knew Celen was a Saiyan. They weren’t thrilled at first, but for two different reasons. Mrs. Briefs was only concerned for her daughter’s safety and happiness. They usually went off to have girl talk, and now Little Bulma would tag along since she was three. The little child practically worshipped her sister and wanted to be like her, have incredible adventures, and find such a strong connection with someone one day. Celen actually liked the little child. She was a very refreshing change to a life he knew all too well. He wondered if their son would be like that as well.

There were times when he’d find Bulma up at night just lying on the grass and looking at the stars. Even for a three-year-old, Bulma always seemed to have a lot on her mind. Sometimes, Celen would join her, and he’d tell her about Planet Vegeta. Bulma really wanted to go, but he knew it would be too dangerous the way things were now. Even if he explained that it was illegal for him to take an alien mate, he couldn’t trust that a child wouldn’t spill the secret. It was then he taught Bulma about the bonds between comrades and the immense trust between them. Anything he told her, Bulma took to heart, and any secret he spoke she held in complete confidence, not even telling Tights who already knew all of his secrets.

After a while, before he and Tights returned to Planet Vegeta, Bulma begged to go back with them. Tights was concerned, but she humored the child. She told Bulma that the conditions were very rough for a child with her strength and size, so they all made an agreement. Celen trained Bulma a little bit and taught her how to instinctively defend herself and the beginnings of controlling her ki—though she never mastered it—and Tights found a way to simulate her father’s gravity increasing technology. She used the machine to create Vegeta’s arid temperature. Each week, Bulma would go up to another gravity level. By the time they left, she was already comfortable with five times Earth’s gravity, and she promised, by the time they returned for the baby to be born, she would be ready to go back with them.

Although Celen wished he could have gotten Dr. Briefs’s acceptance, it was enough for him to have the two females on his side. He loved Tights, and he didn’t care what anyone thought. It was why he was able to not care even when the two most important people to him, his parents, couldn’t accept her. It’s why he chose to believe his opinion was the only one that mattered. Though Tights loved her father, she felt the same way, and it was just a bonus that her mother and sister adored her mate.

“Did you let your father know we’re coming?”

“I did,” Tights relayed. “I lied and said I missed the shuttle this week. I couldn’t tell him we were preparing for a war or he would have gone crazy. It was just a voice recording to let him know we’d be back before Christmas. I offered for them to maybe come back with us next time just to see Planet Vegeta since it would be a while for them to get used to the conditions. Probably in a year or so. By then, I think everyone will be more accepting.”

“I agree with you there,” Celen said with a smile. “Hopefully by then my father will also be back and they could all meet.”

“I’d really like that.” Tights leaned in to kiss Celen, but their moment was short-lived when they heard a banging on the door. “Who in the world?”

Celen moved to answer his door and was surprised to see the king standing in front of him. His expression became serious and he respectfully bowed to the man. “Your Majesty, what can I do for you?”

“I would like to speak with you and the woman. It’s important.”

“I understand,” Celen responded grimly as he allowed the king to enter his small home. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“I’ll make some tea,” Tights offered.

“That won’t be necessary, woman,” the king gruffly spoke. Tights to sat back down across from the man.

Celen joined them and sat beside Tights, not touching her at all. They needed to appear disconnected despite how strong their bond was. After all, the laws had not changed. Where they hoped they would in the future, for now, this is how things needed to be.

“I was wrong.”

Both the Saiyan doctor and the human informant were startled by that admission. They didn’t know what those three words meant, but they were both quiet enough to listen. “In these past couple of weeks, I’ve learned more about the universe and what you people do. I accused you of treason and betrayal, but my mate was right. You never betrayed the crown, Celen. It is difficult for me to admit that I was wrong, but I need to learn. I was wrong about a great many things including letting my son leave with that…that…”

“Frost demon?” Tights offered awkwardly. The king looked at her strangely when she added, “That’s what we all call him in the Galactic Patrol.”

“Interesting,” the king murmured as he thought of the name. He then shook his head and continued, not wanting to get sidetracked. “As I was saying, I should have never treated you the way I did or imprisoned the woman. I should have honored your father’s sacrifice from the start. I would like to promote you back to first-class status, Celen. That and…you and this woman are welcome on the planet at any time. If you ever need anything, either of you, do not hesitate to ask.”

“I…” Tights breathed out before she bowed her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The king nodded and then looked to Celen who was mulling over his offer. “Your Majesty, I am truly honored, but as a doctor…a fighting status doesn’t really fit. I…this is a lot of ask, but if I have a child in the future, regardless of who I take as a mate or his power level, will you grant him first-class status and honor him in my stead.”

The king seemed shocked by the proposition, and he could not understand why Celen worded his request in such a way. Whatever the reason, the king agreed, and with that promise Celen felt immensely relieved. At least he knew that if he ever returned to Planet Vegeta, even with Tights’s family in tow, his son would not be banished from the planet. Even if Celen was arrested for taking an alien mate, Tights would be allowed to return home or even stay on the planet if she wished, and their son would never be harmed by his people.

* * *

_“That seems like a strange request,” Tarble stated. “Did Celen ever have a kid?”_

_Vegeta shook his head. “As I said before, he perished during the battle, so he never had the opportunity. Father never understood why Celen requested this, but when he told Nappa, something shifted inside of him. I felt the stir of emotion, but for the life of me I couldn’t understand it either.”_

_Trunks did. He sat in silence, his emotions at peace. It was strange to know something that neither his father nor uncle knew, but he promised Nappa he would never speak her name or ever let anyone know she was Celen’s mate, even if it was accepted now. He hid a smile at the fact that Celen had wanted to protect Tights and his son, even if his people were more accepting of them. Just in case, Celen made sure they would always be honored on the planet if anyone ever found out the truth. Of course, it still bothered the child immensely that Tights most likely died when she escaped._

_Vegeta looked out into the dark horizon and sighed. He knew it was going to be hard to get to the conflict of the story, but thankfully he was almost done with the history lesson._

_Once he was, he and Bulma were taking a trip to their outskirts home. He needed a break once his parents returned._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

The young prince woke up to find himself hung up against a wall by chains on his wrists. He could hardly open his eyes for they were swollen shut, but it didn’t matter because he was in complete and total darkness. Frieza did not go easy on him. Vegeta felt so sick; Frieza rammed into him, struck him with ki beams. The Saiyan had various internal injuries and broken bones. Thankfully, his tail was not broken, but Frieza had used it in his torture. The vile alien stroked the appendage gently which made Vegeta feel even sicker and degraded. Something like that was only to be done by those closest—mainly mothers if they were active in their child’s life, sometimes fathers, and by mates. Vegeta threw up after Frieza left him. He could hear his disgusting cackles even as he closed the door.

Vegeta hadn’t done well in isolation before, and now it was worse. He could feel panic emanating from both Nappa and Raditz. Most likely, they were trying to locate him. The prince honestly hoped they’d never find him. He let them down, and he failed them and himself. Part of Vegeta hoped that he’d die in isolation either from the insanity or Frieza finishing him off.

It had been quite a while since Frieza left Vegeta, and the prince was both starving and thirsty. Last time Frieza came down for his torture then pleasure session, the tyrant said that it had been three days since he brought the Saiyan down there. Vegeta just counted it all as being one, big, final beating. He accepted that his death had to be around the corner.

Vegeta heard the sound of the dungeon door open, and Frieza stepped into the cell and lit the room with ki. He put a ki-flamed stake up on the wall so that Vegeta could see him better. It was what Frieza did every time he entered the isolation chamber. He wanted Vegeta to have all his senses open during his punishment.

“You will be happy to know that, in just a few hours, we will be within striking distance of your beautiful home planet. I’m debating on whether or not to let you watch me destroy it.”

Vegeta felt a pang in his heart, but he did and said nothing. He was so far gone; nothing was worth it. If Frieza was going to beat him within an inch of his life, he’d welcome it. Vegeta hoped Frieza would get carried away just so that he could be free. There was nothing else left for him in this life.

“Nothing to say, hm?” Frieza jeered. Sickening glee stared back at the broken prince. “Then, I think it’s high time we get you out of here. I have a nice little room located next to my throne room just for you. It’s like a nice little prison cell with a cot and everything. It’s where you will live out the rest of your torture.”

Vegeta still didn’t react. There was no witty comeback he wanted to utter, no fear in his heart. He just wanted Frieza to do whatever he wanted. Vegeta was done.

Frieza unlocked the chains, and Vegeta instantly plummeted to the ground. The Arcosian looked at the heap with joy. He finally broke the child’s spirit. He won.

Weakly, Vegeta followed Frieza to his throne room, but when they got there, life sprang back into Vegeta when he saw Nappa and Raditz standing there. They were surprised to see the prince’s condition, and both of them glared hatefully at the tyrant. “You could have killed him,” Nappa spoke out.

“Silence, monkey,” Zarbon ordered. “Do not think you can speak to Lord Frieza in this manner. It was Vegeta’s own fault for failing the mission.”

“He suffered enough from whoever attacked him,” Raditz spat back at the reptilian alien. “Wasn’t that enough?”

“That is enough,” Frieza spoke. “Raditz, is it? You are not at liberty to speak with me about how I choose to go about my punishments. After all, you’re here because of a promise I made to Vegeta right before you left for the mission.”

Vegeta now fully came back to reality. His anger rose as well as his concern. He couldn’t let Frieza make good on his warning. He wasn’t going to let him hurt his comrades. He wasn’t going to back down.

“Leave them out of this,” Vegeta spoke calmly. His composed demeanor stunned everyone in the room. “This is between you and me, Frieza.”

“Frieza is it?” the Arcosian growled in rage. “You disrespectful little shit. I see you still have some fight in you. We’ll have to take care of that.” He looked to his second. “Kill one of them. I don’t care which. Vegeta failed to destroy a planet, and now I will keep my promise for his failure.”

“No!” the prince shouted. He managed to fight back; his energy skyrocketed and forced Zarbon away from the two Saiyans.

The little prince kept punching Zarbon before the fighter was able to knock him back off. Raditz and Nappa went to aid the child, but a warning in their minds shot off. “Go!” Vegeta demanded. “Into the room!”

Nappa and Raditz had no idea what Vegeta was talking about, but they saw Frieza glare over at the wall before he glowered at the prince. Vegeta had their attention right now, so Nappa and Raditz took off. They didn’t know what they’d find in there, but they didn’t care. They would find something that would help the prince. Why else would he send them in there?

Frieza noticed them go for the room and smirked. Vegeta made it sound urgent, like he needed something, but in actuality he would be trapping the Saiyans. They would be trapped in there and would hear the Arcosian destroy what was left of their little prince. He’d let them out after the prince was dealt with and the planet was no more.

When Nappa and Raditz went inside, the doors instantly shut and locked. They both panicked and realized Vegeta sent them in there for their own protection. Nappa kicked the door in anger and shook his head. Frieza would pay dearly for all of this.

Frieza watched as Vegeta and Zarbon exchanged blows, but the prince began to slow down. That was when the Arcosian ruler jumped in and kicked Vegeta down into the metallic floor. Vegeta gripped his head and then glared at his tormentor. Frieza nodded to Zarbon, and his second landed on the ground. “Zarbon, tell Dodoria to fulfill Project B. It’s time we dealt with those monkeys once and for all.”

“As you command, my lord,” Zarbon returned before he left the room.

Frieza’s attention then shifted to Vegeta. “Now, what am I going to do with you, little monkey? I thought I had completely broken your spirit. You would have finally served me as my loyal pet.”

“I am not a monkey,” Vegeta hissed, “and I’m not your pet.” He looked up at Frieza with vengeful eyes. “I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and my loyalty lies in my planet and its people, not you, you bastard.”

Although Vegeta expected the tyrant to be angry and strike, Frieza instead looked amused. The prince grew confused. Before he knew it, Frieza disappeared from view. “Now, let’s try something else.”

Vegeta instantly felt Frieza grab his tail as he heard his voice. His grip wasn’t very tight, so Vegeta attempted to escape his hold. As Vegeta leapt up, Frieza’s grip tightened, and the escape attempt only resulted in a horrible pull that made Vegeta yelp out in surprise. Frieza yanked the boy back down to the ground and stood over him, his eyes full of sadistic glee. “I was always fascinated by Saiyan weaknesses. Their tails, isolation, electricity of all things, and of course the severing of a bond.” Vegeta continued to struggle, but Frieza’s grip tightened, and the Saiyan’s face contorted in pain as he slackened. “Yes, I know them all. You see, a very disgruntled councilman in your father’s court told me everything, including your birth. I realized I’d never get you monkeys to truly follow me. You were a threat that needed to be dealt with.

“Of course, I knew you’d be strong and very difficult to break, but I love the challenge. Something about seeing you fight back and then succumb to pain is very satisfying for me. Exerting my power over you has been my favorite little pastime. I do believe you will be an excellent soldier, but you still need molding.” He gripped Vegeta’s tail even harder and broke some of the small bones. The Saiyan gasped out in pain, but then Frieza started to stroke his tail which made Vegeta feel both pleasant relief and disgust at himself and Frieza. “It’s all right, Vegeta. Just think, after today, these sessions won’t happen anymore. The reason: you will have no one to go back to. I’ll let you keep your little friends seeing as losing the connection with your parents will be very painful for you. You will all serve me for the rest of your lives, and in that time you will slowly succumb to me. I can promise you that.”

Vegeta gasped out in pain again when Frieza crushed another section of his tail. The bastard once more started his gentle stroking. “F…fuck you,” the prince spat, his voice hoarse. “I will never be what you want me to be. I-I-I’m the Prince of—”

Before Vegeta could finish his sentence, Frieza snapped his tail in half. The child cried out in blinding agony. Both Frieza and Vegeta could hear the other two Saiyan pound on the door desperate to get out and help the child. Vegeta’s pain and self-loathing was suffocating them. They needed to help, but Frieza just laughed.

“Sorry, boys, but you can blame Vegeta for sending you in there,” he jested before he looked at the weakened, writhing prince. Vegeta tried to get ahold of his pain, to swallow it down and move on, but Frieza stepped on his chest. It took Vegeta by surprise as he felt Frieza’s pressure increase. The child attempted to pry Frieza’s foot off of him. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t handle the pain. Eventually, his eyes started to roll before they closed. He couldn’t even get one bit of oxygen. Once he passed out, Frieza released him.

Frieza chuckled. Breaking Vegeta was definitely his life’s greatest challenge. Even when the boy said things to appease him, Frieza knew he still held faith that he would see home again one day. It was time to stomp that hope out completely by getting rid of the home the boy held so fondly. First, though, he had to deal with the other Saiyan monkeys onboard, for he heard the most peculiar thing as Vegeta cried out in agony.

“Let us out you damned frost demon!”

His expression darkened as he opened the door, and Saiyans stumbled forward. They looked into the tyrant’s unyielding red eyes. “Where did you hear that phrase?”

“What?” Nappa asked, stunned that Frieza would ask.

“That name. Where have you heard it?”

“What does it matter?” Raditz spat.

“Because that’s what those idiotic patrolmen call me,” Frieza explained with a sinister smirk.

Raditz looked over to Nappa in shock. He had only ever heard it from him, so if what Frieza said was true…

“We have nothing to do with Galactic Patrol, if that’s what you’re asking,” Nappa stated. “Now, we need to get Vegeta to the tank and—”

Frieza hit the two Saiyans on the back of the neck with his tail and effectively knocked them out. He glared down at the two bodies before he looked over at the fallen prince. He looked dead, his body still unaware that it could breathe. Vegeta was pale and stiff. It was the closest Frieza would ever see him dead—his greatest, most beautiful work of art.

Well, second to the rubble the destroyed Planet Vegeta would create.

* * *

_“That creep was sick,” Trunks said monotonously. “It was like he got off on seeing you all in pain.”_

_Vegeta eyed his six-year-old. “How do you know that phrase?”_

_Trunks shrugged. “I heard it on a television show once. It just means entertained by something, right?”_

_The older prince sighed but nodded. He didn’t wish to explain to Trunks the real meaning behind the phrase, but to hear it in regard to Frieza nauseated the adult. Trunks wasn’t far off the mark. It was why Frieza treated him like a ‘pet’. It was entertaining to Frieza, sure, but the Arcosian also had some strange, disturbing fascination with the prince, and he honestly didn’t want to think about it in that disturbing context. “Anyway, that was the day the Saiyans, Nameks, and Kanassans planned for. When Frieza got close enough to Planet Vegeta, they were all waiting there.”_

_“I thought Saiyans couldn’t handle the vacuum of space,” Tarble spoke. “How was that possible?”_

_“For a short time, they could, as long as they didn’t get too far away from the atmosphere, but of course that meant being too close to the planet,” he explained. “The Kanassans protected the Saiyans and Nameks with barriers so they could move farther from the planet and take on Frieza’s soldiers as well as powering up their defenses. They also had Namek healers there that aided in instant recovery. Even after being mortally wounded, our people could still fight. Frieza’s men never made it down to the planet…all except one.”_

_“Project B…” Trunks pondered. “That’s what Frieza sent that guy for, right? What was it?”_

_Vegeta grew grim as he thought about it. Now, after all these years, he knew why Dodoria teased Raditz that one day. The pink blob told Raditz that even if he returned to Planet Vegeta, he’d be all alone. Raditz was always perplexed by the statements and derogatory remarks to his parents who he barely knew. He only knew his father, Bardock, through training with him for a short time and by reputation. The two were strangers to him, and that’s why it was so confusing._

_Of course, when Bardock explained what happened when Dodoria reached the planet, Vegeta knew what Project B was. The B was for Bardock. Frieza felt threatened by the third-class fighter and his team. He sent Dodoria to Planet Meat first to eliminate the team that took the mission so much earlier than anticipated, but at the same time, Bardock’s mate was giving birth to his second son, so Bardock was with her. No one knew at the time that a Kanassan had given Bardock the gift of seeing the future, and, consequently, Bardock knew his mate would be weak from giving birth. He couldn’t leave her side. Besides, he also saw visions of the prince and his youngest becoming close friends, so he knew everything about the day would work out._

_He hadn’t known Dodoria murdered his team. That was one thing he didn’t foresee._

* * *

Gine cried out as she gave the final push that brought their little boy, Kakarot, into the world. Bardock had been with her the entire time and tried to send her encouraging emotions as he watched her from across the room. The woman was so happy he remained there with her considering his gruff and distant nature. She loved him in spite of it and flashed him a smile, her silent thanks. He nodded to her, his own thankfulness reflected to her through the bond, appreciative that Gine him a son that, despite his weak level, would one day be prince’s rival. Nothing could make him prouder.

The doctor was going to take the boy away, but Gine wished to hold him just a moment before they went to check his vitals and power. The official was stunned by the request for no other Saiyan woman had ever asked this, but they did what the proud mother asked and handed her the baby. They left the two parents alone with their newborn.

“He looks like you,” Gine chimed happily, tears in her eyes. “I know that means he’s going to be strong.”

“Raditz looked like you and he wasn’t a hysterical, weak, pain in the ass like you,” Bardock clipped.

Gine simply laughed the insult off, used to her mate’s antics. His words never hurt her, and she knew he never meant them. She could always feel it through the bond. It was his way in reminding her he accepted a weak mate for, despite her weakness, something about her completed him. It really never negatively affected their relationship.

When she thought of Raditz, she frowned. “Do you think he’ll come back to us?” she questioned hopefully. “I’d love for us to be a real family.”

“Gine,” Bardock sighed. He took the baby from her and looked down at the bundle. The doctor then returned and took Kakarot away which allowed the parents their privacy for their talk.

They had this discussion before. Bardock came from a traditional Saiyan family, and that was his life. His father was a bastard who always made him feel like shit for his choices. Bardock abandoned the man when he was young, had no idea where on the planet he lived and liked to keep it that way. Likewise, Bardock never had anything to do with Raditz. Sure, he trained the kid when he was young, before his level got him into the elite training program at the Saiyan palace. Bardock hated their government for enlisting his son without discussing it with him, but he made sure to distance himself from the boy so they could have a clean, emotionless break. Gine was always upset that Bardock hadn’t fought to bring their son home then.

Opposite to him, Gine’s father was loving and nurturing. Her mother died in childbirth, and the severed connection made her father soft. He raised Gine to see the world differently than the other Saiyans. When she was placed on Bardock’s team, it was only because of her third-class status. Their first mission together, Bardock found himself rescuing the woman more times than not. He hated her weakness but felt a very strong pull. She was attractive, but for some reason something else called out to him, and Bardock realized along the years what he had been missing.

Family.

That was how she completed him. Bardock never had a true family, and he was loathed to admit it was something he wanted. After Raditz was taken away, he went off to blow off some steam on a mission. That poor race hadn’t known what hit them. He didn’t realize until Gine sat him down and talked to him about it, that he was so irate because he actually wanted to raise his son. Years down the line, they decided to try again, but Gine wasn’t getting pregnant. The two were worried something was wrong, and that was when they went to Celen.

It was unheard of for Saiyans to have trouble conceiving, but it was even more unheard of for Saiyans to actually plan to have a baby, so they went to the only person they could trust to be discrete. Bardock and Gine found out Celen was an outcast among the people and that he became a doctor. They hoped he could help. Celen did agree and offered them his services. It turned out that Gine was in fact fine and that she was pregnant.

Bardock was stunned by the declaration. He tried to use his scouter, but he could never detect the power level. Celen explained the new technique he learned, to sense energy, and that their child simply didn’t have a high power level. At first, Bardock was enraged, because he knew that if that were the case, his son would be sent off world for a mission. Bardock refused to let the damned king get ahold of his other son.

Back to the day of Kakarot’s birth, Bardock knew that Kakarot, even if he went on a mission, would return, for he was to become friends with Prince Vegeta. That friendship disgusted Bardock, but he figured it would make his kid happy. He could see how playful and impish the two could be, once Vegeta was a pre-teen of course. The prince would most likely have severe emotional scars when he returned home.

“When we defeat this asshole and Raditz returns, I will go to him personally and demand he come home,” Bardock promised both Gine and himself. “We’re going to be a real family.”

“Aw, isn’t that sweet?”

Bardock instantly felt a chill in the room before a fire in his gut was ignited. He knew that voice. That was the voice of Frieza’s fat, pink lapdog. He turned to face a smirking Dodoria before he spat, “What the fuck are you doing here, pinky?”

“Pinky? How original,” Dodoria jeered. Bardock’s lips curl in disgust. The blob could see the Saiyan’s tail wrap around his waist and tighten.

“I thought I’d find you with your team,” Dodoria continued. Nonchalantly, he added, “They’re all dead, by the way.”

Gine gasped as Bardock felt immense pain. He didn’t notice it before, for his focus was solely on Gine, but it was there. He was no stranger to pain and losing connections. That’s why, besides Gine, none of his connections were ever strong save Tora. Of course, in that moment, Tora was still alive. Mentally, Bardock smirked. He knew nothing could keep his closest comrade down.

But moments later, the connection broke, and that was when Bardock fell to his knees. Gine called out for him, but pain in her abdomen prevented her from being able to go to him. Dodoria just laughed. “I guess the last one’s flame finally burned out. I know the one, too. That bastard…I thought I killed him three times before I declared him dead. I guess now I have my confirmation.” The cruel laughter rang out in the room.

As Bardock tried to get control of himself, Dodoria’s attention shifted to the female Saiyan. He looked the woman up and down and grinned. Clearly, this woman was the third-class’s mate. That connection was different. The bond between mates, according to Frieza’s source, went deeper than mental connection. The two supposedly connected at the soul. If one was destroyed, it was possible that a piece of the warrior would be lost, that the completeness would be gone. That the Saiyan would become weak because of it.

Gine noticed Dodoria’s attention on her, and her alarm called Bardock’s attention back to her. Bardock, already weakened from the loss of one connection, looked over just in time to see Dodoria rush to his mate and snapped the woman’s neck. Dodoria then flared his ki in an attempt to destroy Bardock along with the room. The instant the ki connected, the entire room suffered from the explosion. Bardock was propelled far away from his mate’s, severe agony assaulted his mind and body. It felt like both his entire body and mind were stabbed repeatedly. Each time the knives were withdrawn, Bardock just kept calling out for Gine, but with no answer. He could no longer sense her emotions or presence, and then the knives dug right back in.

He could hear Dodoria’s elated, boisterous cackles, and Bardock wanted so much to pound into the bastard, but he couldn’t focus. Between the emotional trauma and physical distress his body suffered, he couldn’t even think let alone move. All he could do was forcefully push his power level down to nothing as Celen taught him to do. As he heard the beeping of the scouter cease and felt Dodoria move further away to leave, Bardock heard the cretin say, “Another monkey down. That’s six in one day.” When Dodoria was gone, Bardock finally screamed out the pain and passed out.

He was not out for long, however. His anger couldn’t be contained as his power grew to unstable heights. He had never felt pure anguish like this before; the wrath he felt exploded around him. His normally whitish-blue ki transitioned to yellow. The Saiyan grinded his teeth together, tried to rein himself in, but to no avail before his energy engulfed his body. After whatever happened to him, he gasped out still and once again called out Gine’s name. Doctors rushed towards him. They all stopped a distance away.

“I…I don’t believe it,” one of them said. “Incredible, how…?”

“He’s…he’s…”

“Bardock, do you know what you’ve just done?”

Bardock hatefully glared at the man. “I lost my mate, you son of a bitch! What do you think?”

“Bardock, that’s not what we meant,” the doctor said in awe. “You need to see King Vegeta immediately. Your…your energy…your eyes…your hair…look.”

The angry Saiyan’s brows furrowed in confusion, but he did look over to the broken window in what was left of the room he’d been in. It wasn’t the same as a mirror, but even Bardock could see his coloring changed. He was so stunned that he began to search around for an actual mirror. He found mirror-like metal and finally saw his reflection—the blonde hair and teal eyes of legend. He couldn’t believe it himself.

He, a third-class Saiyan, just became a Super Saiyan.

* * *

_“Super Saiyan?” Tarble questioned. “What’s that?”_

_“How can you not know?” Trunks asked. “Dad is one, Kakarot too, and Grandpa in addition to Bardock. Right, Dad?”_

_Vegeta nodded and then looked to Tarble. “Has Father never told you the legend?”_

_Tarble looked confused and shook his head. “He never tells me anything about the past or the legends. That’s why I wanted to learn. A lot of the kids we’ve trained with talk about stuff openly, about their families’ pasts, and whenever they say something I don’t understand, they’ve ridiculed me for being the prince and knowing nothing about our people and heritage.”_

_The older brother frowned at the idea and shook his head. Vegeta knew his father wasn’t really happy with how things used to be, but the prince didn’t expect the king to keep Tarble so in the dark. “Have most of the things your classmates said made sense since you started hearing all of this?” Tarble nodded. “Good. If there’s anything you ever need or want to know, ask me. Father sometimes likes to pretend that the past is just that and not our history._

_“As for the Legend of the Super Saiyan, it was a story passed down from generation to generation. There was once a Saiyan so powerful that he was unrivaled in the galaxy. He had been in a battle with a stronger opponent that would have cost him his life and the life of the planet, and in that time of need he became so enraged to a point until his unstable energy could not be contained. It exploded around him and became tangible. Because of its instability, the hue of his ki changed. It was like he was a different person, but he was given enough strength to destroy the enemy and protect his world. He was a Super Saiyan._

_“No Saiyan truly knew the key to the transformation. We all thought strength and training had everything to do with it. I strived for it for so long until I believed father lied about believing I had what it took to become the Super Saiyan. I continued to train, not to fulfil some ancient prophecy, but to be ready for the Arcosians if they ever returned. What causes the transformation…need and suffering a great loss, or at least believing you suffered a great loss.”_

_“What do you mean, Dad?”_

_“Bardock was the only one who truly lost someone before your future counterpart came. He lost his mate; your counterpart lost his mother. For my father, me, and Kakarot, we had all thought we lost someone.”_

_“Who?” Tarble asked._

_“Raditz was downed in the battle on Earth, and Kakarot thought he lost him which devastated him. I believed I lost your mother…”_

_When Vegeta didn’t continue, Trunks asked, “Who did Grandpa think he lost?”_

_“Me.”_

* * *

Frieza frowned as he observed the blockade in front of him. The three races he planned to take out one-by-one all banded together. That blasted patrolman must have warned the Saiyans. Seeing as the Saiyans had gone to eliminate Kanassa, Frieza realized that the merging of the three groups had to have happened before the patrolman ever received his information.

“Men,” Frieza stated with a huff, “eliminate them. Don’t leave a single creature alive. Whoever brings me a head any of the races’ kings will get a planet of their choosing.”

Frieza’s men cheered and began their assault. Unfortunately for them, the races were thoroughly prepared. Between the three races, they outnumbered the amount of soldiers Frieza currently had at his disposal. Plus, they had the advantage of healing during battle. Each time a Saiyan or Namek was mortally wounded, the Kanassans shielded them and levitated them over to a Namek healer. The warriors instantly flew into the fray once more, and the Saiyans successfully gained a power boost.

During the start of the battle, Bardock was brought before King Vegeta, who had been completely stunned that someone, especially a third-class, attained the transformation. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Hello to you, too, _king_ ,” Bardock spat none too kindly.

The history between the king and Bardock was an interesting one that no one knew besides the two of them. Back in the Tuffle days, three warriors came together—King Vegeta’s father, Paragus’s father, and Bardock’s father. They were the ones to have complete control over their Oozaru transformations and led their people to victory against the Tuffles. Since Vegeta’s father was the son of the chief and the strongest, he was awarded the title ‘first-class’ and became the king. Paragus’s father was the next strongest, leading the ‘second-class’, and given a spot on the council. Bardock’s father was the weakest, the only one of his power level class, the ‘third-class’, to control himself during a transformation. He was one of the people who lived in the outskirts of their small city and King Vegeta I did not trust him. He was looked down upon, and it was said that his whole family would be considered third-classes for they would attempt to take the crown.

When word got out about Paragus, Bardock had been highly amused. With that out, he guessed it was the second-class snakes, and not the third-class, that King Vegeta had to worry about. It seemed fitting that King Vegeta was betrayed by the man he honored while Bardock’s family was looked upon with contempt. After Bardock left his father’s home, he made his own name for himself and was as strong as any first-class/elite out there. Still, his title never changed.

He had never met the king personally, only knew from his father that the royals were filthy liars and snakes. Bardock always held that belief, especially when they pilfered his son and would most likely send his youngest to some foreign soil. The third-class had no respect for the royals, but he did honor his planet, and now he had to protect his home world and take his vengeance for Gine’s life. He actually had the power to do so.

The king frowned in response and sent everyone else but Bardock away. Not wanting to incite the wrath of either the king or the Super Saiyan, everyone scurried from the room and the door shut with an echoing slam.

King Vegeta stood up and descended from his platform. He stood at eye level with the blonde, third-class. His hard eyes never wavered. “Bardock,” he greeted, saying his name for the first time ever. “I’ve heard a great deal about you. You’re Arugu’s son, correct?”

“You fucking know my parentage,” Bardock spat. “You can at least not mock my intelligence. That would be like asking, _‘You’re Vegeta’s boy, aren’t ya?’_ ”

With stony eyes, the king responded, “Fair enough. What caused this?”

“I owe you no explanation,” Bardock countered. “They’re the ones who brought me here. I wanted to go and fight.”

“Uh, sir, the children are prepared to be sent out, including a newborn and—”

Bardock turned to the soldier that entered the room. “Don’t. You. Dare.” His voice was so empty and cold that the soldier couldn’t help but shiver. “That newborn is going nowhere. He is my son, and he will remain on this planet with me. You send him away, you will die, got that?”

King Vegeta could see the burning fury in Bardock’s teal eyes. It amazed him that this man, this man who was rumored to be as cold-hearted as any normal Saiyan, would speak out in front of him to prevent his son from being deployed. Bardock didn’t care about the backlash. A part of the king envied him for that.

“Toma, cancel the orders. We are no longer going to send our young out for Frieza. Clearly, you know of the battle taking place out there. If we send them, they will be destroyed. Keep all offspring on Planet Vegeta until I say otherwise. If their parents want them, they can take them home after the battle.”

The soldier bowed to the king and took his leave to give the order as Bardock looked back at the ruler in shock. “Why—?”

“As loathe as I am to say this, you, third-class, have become a Super Saiyan, and if I’m ever going to get my son back, I need your raw power. A small band of us will invade Frieza’s ship to find Vegeta, Nappa, and your other son. If you agree to come with me, both your sons will be returned to you and I will do what my father never would.”

“And that is?”

“Give your family your proper titles.”

Bardock couldn’t believe what he heard, but the king sounded sincere. Not wanting to form any sort of camaraderie bond, Bardock scoffed and stated, “Damn, you must be desperate. But it can’t be helped. If we run into Dodoria, though, that bastard is mine, got it?”

The king answered with a curt nod. There was no time to waste. He and Bardock met up with the small group the king had on standby. They were going to go get his son. No one was going to stop them, not even that frost demon, Frieza.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

As the battle raged forward and King Vegeta took his troops to Frieza’s ship, Celen and Tights were still on the planet. They were preparing to leave; Celen didn’t want to remain on the planet after the battle. There would be a lot of chaos, and besides he promised his mate they’d be back on Earth for the holidays. Of course, they couldn’t leave while the war raged, but they could start readying the ship.

They had yet to leave their home when Celen froze. He sensed an unfamiliar energy lurking around. Tights noticed his alerted mental signal. “Celen, what’s wro—”

“Sh,” he replied as he held his hand out to her. Once he was able to register the ki, he realized he recognized it. “Shit! Tights, grab your capsules and let’s get the fuck out of here. There’s a few soldiers not too far from here. They’re Cooler’s.”

Tights gasped. She remembered Cooler. They witnessed the appearance of the Arcosian on another planet once before while they were undercover. Cooler destroyed an entire armada in one blast. He was different than Frieza, more ruthless and less talkative. Why would he send soldiers to Planet Vegeta? That was part of his brother’s territory, and Cooler never did anything for his brother. If anyone hated Frieza more than the Saiyans, it was Cooler.

“We need to get out of here,” Celen declared as he picked his mate up and held her protectively. “Stay as quiet as possible, got it. I’ll get you and our son out of here. I promise.”

Tights nodded, though she did not really take in Celen’s words and understand what they meant. She didn’t know the soldiers were as close as they were. The Saiyan was already planning to get her off of Planet Vegeta without him, but she didn’t need to know that. All that mattered was that she and their child would be safe.

Celen flew quickly to the launch bay and sensed three distinct energies heading towards them. They were strong, and at least one of them was strong enough to take on Celen even if the Saiyan could overcome the other two fighters. When the doctor arrived, he got Tights settled in her ship. “All right, we’re ready to launch and— Celen, what are you doing?”

Celen stood outside of the ship and did not enter. His mate looked at him and silently demanded answers. In her mind and heart, she already knew. She could feel it in her soul and tears fell.

“Come on, Tights. None of that bullshit,” Celen said fondly as he wiped away a single tear of his own. “You know if we flee to Earth, they’ll find us. I’ll head them off. Once I beat them, I’ll catch up. But…if you feel a sharp pain and the connection sever, please, never come back here. Raise the child on Earth. Don’t let him become what we did, okay?”

Tights nodded in response and fed off his determination. “Celen…I…I love… You complete me.”

The sad smile Celen wore became the biggest, most genuine grin she had ever seen from him. Tights had never said those words prior to this moment. Celen told them to her once before, but she always used her cultures words. To see his reaction now, Tights regretted not saying it more. “I love you, too, Tights. So much.”

Likewise, Celen had never used those words with her, only used his culture’s words, so to hear him say them was a big deal to Tights. The tears returned, but she wore a loving smile as the door shut and she took off. She needed to get as far away from the red planet as possible.

Celen watched as the craft got further and further away, but as his mate got further, Cooler’s men got closer. He turned to see the three warriors standing before him.

“Celen, I presume,” a blue-skinned, blonde haired fighter spoke in what sounded like a French accent according to the Earthling programs Celen had watched during his time there.

“You’ve got me,” the Saiyan replied coolly, arrogantly, despite the fact that he was nervous about taking these three guys on.

It was then the blue alien looked out to see the ship that was already out in the distance. Celen noticed where his attention was and tried to block his view. The alien laughed. “Trying to protect your mate?” The Saiyan was caught off-guard. “Yes, we know all about you and the women, even if your people don’t. We don’t really care. Our orders were to bring you to Lord Cooler so that he could decide your punishment for your crimes against the Cold Empire.”

“I won’t go quietly,” Celen replied darkly. He couldn’t let them get to his mate. Surprisingly, though, the reddish brown, skinny alien raced past him. Celen attempted to react, but the large, green one managed to pry him away and hold him prisoner. Angry and humiliated, Celen fired up two spherical ki blasts in his two palms and placed the hot orbs directly over the stomach of the alien. He managed to free himself, but the blue alien entered combat and the two exchanged fast blows.

“Doore, Neiz, get in that ship and follow her. Kill anyone that gets in your way.”

“Right, Salza!” they both claimed as they got in the ship.

“No!” Celen shouted and then moved to destroy the ship. Salza descended upon him in the air and knocked him into the hard, metal ground before the Saiyan could stop them. Still, Celen tried to blast the vessel, but his beam was cut off by an even stronger being than this Salza he was fighting.

“L-Lord Cooler,” Salza breathed out in surprise. Celen’s blood run cold. “I…we didn’t know you’d be here.”

Celen slowly turned himself around and sat up. He was in fact looking at one of the frost demons. “Cooler.”

* * *

_Both Trunks and Tarble were shocked. According to Vegeta, the whole incident had been recorded, but of course they didn’t have audio recording, which Trunks was thankful for considering no one would have understood what Celen and Tights were saying to each other. He could only imagine how difficult it was for the man to say ‘goodbye’ to his mate._

_“So, Celen stayed behind to protect his assistant and then they went after her anyway, and he left with Cooler,” Tarble stated._

_“We don’t know what happened after Cooler showed up,” Vegeta replied. “He destroyed everything in the launch bay, and that had to have included Celen. Nappa’s connection with him was gone, but my mother felt such a sharp pain before she couldn’t sense Celen’s presence. We believe Cooler killed him, that son of a bitch.”_

_Trunks frowned. He couldn’t believe Nappa lost his son to that monster. It just wasn’t fair._

_Not wanting to linger on negative emotions, Trunks sat up. “So, how did Grandpa get you off the ship? The battle was still going on, right?”_

_“It was, and Frieza’s men were losing. It was the reason he actually decided to leave the ship. When I was younger, I didn’t know the details for Father lied to me about a few things, but when Frieza’s men lost ground, Frieza grew angry, transformed, and then entered the fray and killed all of his own men except for Dodoria and Zarbon who remained on the ship to watch out for any intruders. Frieza knew our father would come to rescue me.”_

_“He…he killed his own men?” Trunks nearly yelled. “Why? That’s so stupid!”_

_Vegeta shook his head. To be honest, he hadn’t fully become like Frieza. He understood the Arcosian’s reasoning on a great many things, but he never could fathom killing one’s own men. That was one lesson Vegeta was thankful he never learned in those months. He hated to think what would have happened to his mentality, especially after he almost killed Raditz in their spar the weeks before. With another shake of his head, Vegeta recounted the rescue and ignored the fact that the sky was beginning to turn from dark purple to a shade a magenta. Soon, the sky would be red once again, and he would have been up with these boys all night._

* * *

King Vegeta felt Frieza leave the ship, which is when he and his men decided to make their move. He was strangely thankful that Celen taught them all how to sense and lower energy. It was a skill they would have never known had the Saiyan not joined the Galactic Patrol. The king decided he would make a treaty with the organization when this whole mess was done. They had done his people a great service.

He signaled for the small band to split up and search the empty ship. He sent a group with Bardock and took a few along with him. No one realized that Dodoria and Zarbon were still onboard, that is until Bardock ran into Dodoria. The pink blob managed to escape the Saiyan, and Bardock would not see him again until an invasion on Earth fifteen years later.

Zarbon, on the other hand, moved Vegeta into the little room with the other two Saiyans. The prince still looked dead which made the blue-skinned alien grin. It was nice to see the monkey brat put in his place. Vegeta’s blood was still all over the floor, which is exactly what King Vegeta saw and smelled the second he entered the room.

Frieza’s second saw the king and seemed surprised, but he grinned in amusement. Before he could speak, the ship shaken and propelled in the opposite direction from the fight. The king snickered as Zarbon nearly careened into a wall, but then he sensed Frieza’s energy. The Arcosian was angered, that was certain, and then everything happened in a flash. King Vegeta turned just in time for Frieza to attack the three Saiyans killing the two who had accompanied him. Somehow, the king managed to avoid the attack, but the ship had in fact taken some damage and the king was highly aware that he was alone with both Zarbon and the frost demon himself.

“Well, well,” Frieza sneered. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the monkey king’s arrival.” His eyes shot to his second. “Zarbon, get to the controls and get us out of here. We need to regroup.”

“Sire?”

“Don’t make me say it again, Zarbon!” Frieza snapped. “Now!”

“Right away, sir!” Zarbon replied before the toad disappeared from the throne room.

King Vegeta felt relief over the fact that Frieza was withdrawing. He knew that the Arcosian must have realized that going against the three races together was a futile effort. However, that still meant that only he and a handful of Saiyans were on the ship. And where was his son? He needed to know. He could not leave without him.

Frieza’s heated, evil eyes narrowed at the king. “I bet you think you’ve defeated me, but this is just a momentary lapse. I will destroy all of your races regardless of your shoddy truce. You’ll turn on each other eventually.”

“No,” the king remarked. “Where is my son?”

At that, Frieza smirked knowing that Zarbon locked the child and his comrades in the side room. They were most likely all still unconscious, and they were weak that their energy couldn’t be picked up by the scouter.

“Vegeta is dead.”

As soon as the words left Frieza’s mouth, the king grasped his heart and stumbled bac. His hand caught on a pillar. The pain he felt from hearing the Arcosian’s words was unrivaled. Worst of all, it wasn’t from a bond being severed. He already felt the disconnect months before, so the king knew that he lost his son’s trust. Where he hated it and felt distressed from it, hearing that Vegeta was gone was so much worse.

He could vaguely make out the Arcosian’s sickening laugh, his anger started to grow. The king had never felt rage like this before in his life. It felt like it was tangible, yet he couldn’t grab onto it.

Frieza took pleasure in the Saiyan king’s distress. “It looks like your efforts were in vain, king. Your little prince took his final breaths mere hours ago. And you were so close, too.”

“Shut up,” the king spat, his voice strained. “Just shut up.”

“The sad fact of the matter, Vegeta, is that this was your fault.” The king’s fiery eyes met Frieza’s mirthful orbs. “You were the one who turned him over to me.”

“Enough!” King Vegeta shouted. His energy exploded around him as he launched himself into battle with the final-formed Frieza. Frieza easily caught the king’s sloppy blows and he laughed in amusement. The transitioning energy of the king, however, was very alarming to the tyrant. His scouter kept flipping between various figures that the Arcosian could not fully make sense of until the device exploded over his face. Frieza shoved the wrecked device off his face and used his energy to push the king back and put more ground between them.

When Frieza backed off, the king took heavy, deep breaths. He was so furious; his aura burned and set his body ablaze. The energy could hardly be contained. He formed a ball of energy in his hands just to fire off for the hell of it. He needed to free himself of this pain, this fire. He was startled by the hue of his ki; it was no longer deep, dark violet, but a bright yellow. His brows furrowed in confusion as his attention shifted to the Arcosian tyrant. Frieza looked confused, but also furious as he launched himself back into battle with the Saiyan.

King Vegeta managed to block and twisted away before Frieza’s fist could connect with his body. He moved his head quickly to avoid each of the monster’s jabs. The more he dodged, the angrier and more unfocused Frieza’s attacks became. The king took advantage of Frieza’s lapse in judgment and blasted him into his throne, shattering the seat.

Frieza sat up, and the metal chips rolled off his skin. He sneered and growled at his opponent. The gall of the Saiyan was astonishing, but Frieza was not going to let him get away with his hubris. He would make sure the king suffered greatly before his death. He just needed to overcome this strange, unexpected transformation. And Frieza simply thought that the king changed in appearance only…

The tyrant powered up and phased out of the king’s view. Vegeta attempted not to let his guard down, but Frieza took him by surprise and whipped him in the side with his tail. The sudden strike wasn’t fatal, but it did cause slight pain. The Saiyan king could hear the Arcosian snicker before he felt searing pain in the form of an electrical shock.

 _That coward!_ the king spat internally. The Arcosian was using one of the few weaknesses of the Saiyans against him when his own ability was failing. Vegeta was irate that Frieza would stoop so low. He was in the process of thinking of a way out, but then the shock stopped, and the pain began to subside. The king looked over his shoulder, his breathing heavy, and was astonished by what he saw.

Bardock entered the fray. He pummeled into Frieza as if the tyrant were a ragdoll. The Arcosian was dazed clearly having not expected the Saiyan to appear. His momentary stupor gave King Vegeta the time he needed to recover and join Bardock in the fight.

Frieza was beaten and battered for the first time in his live, humiliated. He had a difficult time with the Saiyan king. It took his failsafe to incapacitate the monkey before the other one showed up. Now, Frieza didn’t know what to do. He was standing face to face with two empowered Saiyans surrounded by that accursed yellow aura. There wasn’t much he could do...

Except sacrifice his ship and everyone on it.

That was exactly what he intended to do. He smirked but did not give any warning as he blasted a hole in the ship. He would be the sole survivor in this attack, or so he thought as the two Super Saiyans sprang into action and used all of their power to incinerate the demon once and for all.

Victory seemed empty, but they had time before the ship would blow. It was Bardock who pointed out the energy signals coming from behind the door. There were two unmistakable signals and a faint one. The king sighed in relief. It had to be Vegeta.

The king and Bardock quickly broke down the door and found Nappa and Raditz struggling to wake and the prince. The boy lied in a pool of his own blood. King Vegeta knelt down beside his son and placed a hand on his forehead. He was so cold and so pale, but he was at least breathing. The king sighed in relief and picked up the child; he cradled his body carefully. The prince groaned, but other than that he appeared to be unconscious. No one noticed his bleary eyes open only for a moment.

King Vegeta looked over to Bardock who was helping his son and the former general. Raditz rubbed the back of his head before he glared at his father whom he hadn’t seen in nearly a decade. “You… What are you doing here?”

“Saving your ass,” Bardock returned smoothly as if stating a fact.

“There’s no time,” Vegeta said sternly as his attention shifted to his son’s weakening energy. “That coward attacked his own ship. Bardock, what happened to the other soldiers?”

“Sent them back to the ship. Yours?”

The king glowered. “Frieza.”

“Figures,” the third-class Super Saiyan scoffed.

The king nodded before the group rushed to meet the other Saiyans on the ship. They made it in time and got away from the Arcosian’s ship as it exploded in the distant view of space. The young prince was immediately hooked up to the emergency life support system to sustain his body until they returned home and could get him into a proper healing chamber. The king could not believe it. The worst of it was over. His son was alive and safe. He would heal.

Physically at least.

* * *

_Vegeta carried the two boys back to their respective rooms. They made it through the horror of the story before the stress and exhaustion caught up with them. When he made it to Trunks’s room, the boy didn’t want his father to leave. Vegeta had never stayed in Trunks’s bed before. He knew Bulma did sometimes when the child had a nightmare and couldn’t fall back to sleep. It was possible that the story of Frieza left the little prince feeling overwhelmed, and for that Vegeta couldn’t leave him._

_Trunks sighed and then yawned before he curled up against his father’s back. “Dad?” he whispered._

_“Hmn?”_

_“I’m glad Grandpa rescued you and that you’re here,” he told him which made Vegeta tense just from those words of praise. He didn’t know how to react to it. “Thank you for telling the story. I know it was difficult, but I’m proud of you. I know you’re probably relieved to be done, but it means a lot that you told us in the first place.”_

_“Done?” Vegeta questioned. Then he chuckled wryly when he sensed the boy’s confusion. “Unfortunately, we aren’t done. Not by a long shot.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“We may have made it through the history of Frieza, but what’s really important is what happened after Frieza, the alliances we made then and the agreement we made with the remaining Colds that the bastard king had broken.”_

_Trunks seemed bewildered as he murmured a quiet, “Oh…”_

_Vegeta smirked. “Truthfully, that will probably be the easiest thing to tell you boys. Tomorrow night, same place.”_

_“Right,” Trunks agreed with determination. “We’ll be ready.”_

_Vegeta felt content and managed to fall asleep even with his son’s strange need to cuddle against him and his tail curling around his like a safety blanket. The worst of the story was over, but he still needed to tell the boys how difficult life after Frieza and adjusting to the new form of negotiation was for him and why they were so lucky to be born into it. He wanted the boys to appreciate the alliance and the freedom. He wanted them to understand how hard it was for him before Bulma changed his view on everything._

* * *

Tights managed to make it to Earth, but her sensors picked up another vessel. She knew Cooler’s soldiers were going to find her, but she needed to get to her family. She was desperate to find Bulma. Despite being a child, Bulma was the only one who would understand. She only hoped she could get to her before the aliens found her. She couldn’t let them find her sister either. They couldn’t know she was passing the torch.

As soon as the ship landed blocks away from her home, Tights took off in a run and used her ki to increase her speed. She hadn’t mastered the art of utilizing her energy into attack or defensive power, but she knew she could propel herself further.

The woman made it to her childhood home and chanced a glance over her shoulder to see that she was safe. Bulma was playing alone in the yard, a relief as she called out the little one’s name. The blue-haired girl looked over to her sister and smiled. She quickly ran over to Tights, and the blonde released a sigh of relief as she landed next to her sister.

“Tights!” the three-year-old chimed. Then the girl frowned when she noticed her sister’s heavy breathing. “What’s wrong?”

“Bulma, I don’t have a lot of time,” she said hurriedly. She took out a small chip attached to a chain that looked like a necklace, but Bulma knew better. This was something more important. “I need you to take this and keep this. One day, someone is going to need that. It contains a coded message that will reveal a weakness to a really strong group of monsters. When that person comes, you’ll know. I couldn’t decode it myself.”

“But Tights, you can do anything,” the little girl assured her. “You should keep it.”

Tights groaned in frustration before she put the chain around the child’s neck. “I don’t have time to argue with you, Bulma,” she countered. “Please, take this and go inside, okay kiddo? I love you.”

Bulma looked uncertain and confused. “I love you too, but—”

“Well, well, well…what do we have here?”

Tights’s heart stopped beating in her chest as she turned to see Cooler’s two goons standing before her and her baby sister. “No,” she breathed out horrified.

“Yes,” Doore replied as he sinisterly eyed the little child.

Tights immediately stood in the way of her sister to block her from view. “Okay, you caught me. I’ll go quietly if you let this child go.”

“I don’t think so,” Neiz rasped. He jumped like a frog behind her and reached out for the little Earthling.

Bulma yelped slightly in fear, but she tried to stand her ground. Tights, on the other hand, was thinking of a way to get Bulma out of the situation. It was then that she got an idea and distracted the two aliens by calling Celen’s name excitedly. It caused the two soldiers to look the opposite way in fear. There was no way a Saiyan could defeat their squad leader, right?

Using their momentary distraction to her advantage, she took out her stun gun and shot both of them quickly before she grabbed Bulma and flew them as far and as fast as her energy allowed, getting further and further away from Capsule Corp.

Tights only stopped when she sensed the enemies’ energy far away and saw that she and her sister were near a dock full of crates and holes. Tights hid her sister, and Bulma protested the entire time as black eyes met blue. “Bulma, you need to stay hidden. You can’t come out for anything, not even if those guys come after me.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Tights huffed before another idea hit her. Celen taught her sister about trust and honor, and also keeping one’s word. Bulma loved the Saiyans and their culture, at least the romanticized version she picked up from them…what the Saiyans could be in the future with the Arcosians defeated. “Bulma, I need you to swear on your honor as an Earthling and as an honorary Saiyan that you will stay in this spot no matter what happens, even if it looks bad.”

Bulma looked horrified. She knew what her sister was saying, and she remembered what her brother-in-law told her. It was as clear as day, that Saiyans sometimes needed to fight alone. If they asked one to stay out of the fight, even if they were losing or near death, the comrade would have to honor his friend’s plea no matter what. Tights implored the child on the bonds she formed with the two of them. Bulma couldn’t argue, but she couldn’t agree with it either. The child could only nod as her sister sighed in relief and offered her a smile. Her expression soured as she sensed the villains encroach upon them. “Bulma,” she hissed in a whisper, “hide your energy. Keep it hidden, no matter what.”

The child nodded again and watched as her sister exited the warehouse. Her eyes caught the enemies, but she refrained from leaving the spot. She knew her sister had to have a way out of there. When Bulma saw her surrender to the men, she nearly gasped. Why was her sister giving up? It couldn’t be.

She wanted to call out to her, but she felt the consciousness of her sister demand she stay put. It was then that the big, green alien blasted the woman in the chest which caused Tights to cough up blood. Bulma’s eyes widened; her mouth dropped but no audible sound left her. She couldn’t have seen what she did. It just couldn’t happen.

That horrible monster killed her sister.

Bulma kept her energy low, mainly because she dropped to her knees. “Hey, she’s still breathing,” reached Bulma’s ears, the reddish-brown fiend’s voice only passed through her mind. She barely registered Neiz say, “Well, a strong one. That’s alright. Lord Cooler will determine your fate. You and your mate’s.”

“What about the little brat?” Doore questioned.

“Leave her. She wasn’t important anyway.”

The two demons laughed and flew away with Tights’s injured body, and Bulma was still catatonic. It wasn’t until she felt the sharp pang hours later happen twice, and all of the emotions she felt from her sister and Celen were gone. The pain was so immense. She screamed out into the night and called for both Tights and Celen. People who were out walking by the docks heard her desperate, hysteric cries and then called the police for they couldn’t get near the girl—her body was covered in a ki shield—as she screamed.

The police recognized the blue hair immediately and heard the child calling her sister’s name. They telephoned her parents to have them come get her. When Dr. Briefs and his wife got there, all Bulma could say was that Tights was gone. An alien attacked and killed her. Later on in the child’s life, her memory would be repressed and she would have no recollection of her sister and her sister’s mate. Everything that happened would feel a distant blur except the idea of an imaginary sister who lost her life.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

Frieza was defeated. The tyrant was no more.

The news reached all corners of the universe. Every race celebrated the frost demon’s demise save the Arcosians themselves. Kanassa, Namek, and Vegeta were safe. Still, the air surrounding the Saiyan planet was stale and heavy. The race was in mourning. Bardock disappeared as soon as the group returned leaving Raditz to handle his baby brother. The older Saiyan heard his mother had passed and shrugged it off having never known the woman. The baby, Kakarot, was scheduled to be sent off-world. His father refused the child to be sent away and the king honored the third-class’s demands. The young warrior, though, had no idea what to do with a baby. All he could do was return to his childhood home.

Thanks to the cameras, the royals and Nappa saw what happened to Celen and his assistant. No one could hear what was said between the two, but Nappa knew. When he saw Cooler, not to mention the fact that the rest of the feed died, he grew angry. Cooler took his son away, most likely to eliminate the threat. Without the bond, he would never know what happened.

There was hope in the former general’s heart that Tights and his grandchild would live out their lives on her planet. However, when he felt a mental pain, he knew Cooler eliminated her, too. What was even more painful was that Jaco arrived one day and said the Galactic Patrol never heard from the woman again. Lost, Nappa focused on the prince. The old Saiyan refused to reclaim his position as general. All he wanted was to make sure that Vegeta would be okay.

Kalina kept constant vigil over her son as he healed. The doctors stated that he was in critical condition when they landed. He almost didn’t make, nearly crashed multiple times, and the mother felt a horrible pain in her heart. Once Vegeta was stable, the medical team assured the prince would survive. Her son was going to recover.

Eventually, Vegeta was able to breathe on his own, and so it was decided he would finish recovering in his own room. Kalina sat by his side every day and night. Her mate joined only occasionally. He had become insanely busy, though the reasons were worth it. The Saiyans allied themselves with the Galactic Patrol.

It didn’t take much convincing. Nappa suggested it in honor of Celen and his assistant. Jaco helped speed the process along. The three planets that served to take Frieza down began to make treaties and agreements with other planets in the name of the alliance, born from the Galactic Patrol. All the planets kept their own governments and cultures even when they entered into the alliance.

Of course, this agreement wasn’t a secret, and the Arcosians caught wind. King Cold demanded an audience with King Vegeta. The Saiyan refused. Instead, Vegeta demanded to meet on neutral ground. He was not alone. The Namek elder and Kanassan king accompanied him. They made it known to Cold how many allies they had, how they outnumbered the PTO in its entirety.

King Cold was irritated and wanted revenge for his son; however, he was warned by his eldest son to leave the alliance be. It wasn’t worth it to attempt to destroy them all. The Arcosians, however strong, would use up valuable resources in attempts to take over those planets. Some planets that entered the alliance belonged to Colds, but their troops were eliminated, and the oppressed peoples were freed by the Saiyans and their allies. Frieza’s mistake had been to let the Saiyans go unchecked and how he toyed with them thinking he’d have complete control. Cooler expressed that Frieza died because of his own foolishness. He demanded his father not do the same. King Cold reluctantly agreed, though—unbeknownst to Cooler—he was only biding his time. Besides, the alliance promised war if he attacked any of their allies. With the loss of Frieza and his section of the army, they would not be able to handle a full intergalactic war.

The eyes of the prince twitched slightly; the boy cringed in his sleep, oblivious to his surroundings, and then blinked and peeked up at the ceiling. His eyes widened when he didn’t see the dark metal, rounded ceiling of Frieza’s ship, but the flat, metal alloy the Saiyans used to craft their buildings. He sat up quickly and instantly regretted it as he felt pain in all of the spots where Frieza last hit him, including a sharp pain in his tail.

Vegeta observed the room as if he was in a dream. He couldn’t be back in his room. The last he knew, he was on Frieza’s ship and his life drained from his body. Vaguely, though, he recalled a yellow glow engulf him, a warm energy, but he shook it off as a dream. Ever alert, Vegeta was ready for anything…

Except his tail being stroked.

Nausea took over and fear crept into Vegeta’s heart. He knew it was too good to be true. He was still with Frieza. His room was nothing but a dream. “Good morning,” he heard a familiar, female voice coo. His eyes instantly shifted sideward and he nearly launched himself in the air at the sight of his mother. The woman noticed his fear and released his tail which immediately secured itself around his waist. “Mother?” he questioned, he voice weak from disuse. “There’s no way. This is a dream. I haven’t seen you since…”

“Since months before you were sent away,” the woman finished sadly. “Vegeta, I am so sorry you went through what you did. I didn’t—”

Vegeta looked away from her and blocked out the sound of her voice before a growl rumbled in his chest. “What?” he hissed. “You didn’t think he’d hurt me, force me to purge? What?” Kalina was so shocked by the outburst. Vegeta looked so vulnerable hunched over in his bed, so she moved to embrace him and rock him. Before she could touch him, Vegeta flinched. “Leave,” he demanded, his voice devoid of all emotion. “I do not wish to see you.”

“Vegeta…” Kalina breathed out as her heart broke. “Please, son, just listen to me for a moment. Once I’m finished, you can think whatever you want. But let me explain—”

“I don’t want to hear any of your lies,” Vegeta replied curtly. He would not look at the woman which meant he couldn’t see how hurt she was by his response. “I’ll report to you and Father later. For now, I’m exhausted. I only wish to see Nappa or Raditz. No one else.”

“But, Vegeta, the doctors need to—”

Vegeta flashed her a heated look full of hate. “No one else, especially not a damned doctor.”

Kalina looked horrified but regained her composure and nodded once before she left the room with a surprisingly even step. It was once she allowed her son’s door to close that she fell to the ground. She sat there in a heap and sobbed into her hands. She knew that the bond between her and Vegeta had broken, and she assumed it was because he believed she was involved in sending him away. It didn’t matter, though. Vegeta didn’t want to see her, and she had to give him his space. Maybe, by doing that, she could show her son that she was not a threat to him.

Vegeta’s defensive behavior did not change within the first few weeks. In fact, Nappa and Raditz were the only ones who could talk to him, except when it came to training. Weeks after Vegeta returned, the king made it known to everyone, including his son, that the old laws were over. Aggressive behavior towards their fellow Saiyan was illegal unless it was an agreed upon spar or training. With foreigners coming through the planet on a daily basis, the laws against mating an alien were also revoked and half-breed children were treated just as well as any fully Saiyan child.

Unfortunately, where Vegeta was angry and distrusting towards his mother, it was even worse with his father. The king went to the prince just as soon as he heard from his mate that the child was awake. They two royals met eyes, but Vegeta’s held fear. As his father approached him, the prince looked as if he were about to flee to the other side of the room. The king froze and just stared at his son in silence for a very long time. Eventually the prince scoffed and looked away, probably deemed that the man was not a threat, at least not at the moment.

“What do you want?” Vegeta questioned, his voice dark. “I told her that I would report to you both later. I do not wish to see either of you.”

“I am glad you are all right,” the king replied, side-stepping his son’s biting remark. “When I found you on the ship, I didn’t know if you would make it.”

Vegeta perked up at that. “You found me? You actually came for me?”

“Of course I did,” the king responded before he took a few more steps to the bed. “Vegeta, I never wanted you to be put in that situation, but I am so proud of you for surviving. Welcome home.”

The prince’s eyes narrowed at him before the child chuckled, his voice laced with derision. “You are a fool. You knew exactly what you were doing. Frieza told me that you traded me to him to protect your own ass. Stop pretending you give a damn about me.”

His mate had not been kidding when she warned King Vegeta about Vegeta’s attitude. Still, it stunned him, and he could not hide that. Vegeta took advantage of his father’s stupor, stood up, and instantly went for his armor. The prince did his best not to wince from pain, appeared completely fine. It was his defense mechanism on Frieza’s ship to never let anyone see him in pain and weak.

“S-son?” King Vegeta gasped out. “What are you doing?”

Vegeta turned to face the man, stood tall and proud, but was also quite tense. “What does it look like? I have a training schedule to keep.”

As Vegeta started to walk out of the room, a large hand fell upon his shoulder and his stomach leapt inside of him. Vegeta mentally willed himself not to react. The boy looked straight ahead and heard his father say, “Vegeta, you need to rest. You went through a horrible ordeal. Please take some time to rest. Training will be there when you heal.”

“I don’t need to be coddled.”

Vegeta shook his father’s hand off of him before he took off for the training facilities. He needed to get away from the man. Where he felt relief over being rescued, he couldn’t trust the man that traded him in the first place. He didn’t know if his parents would strike. He didn’t know how the other Saiyans would act around him, either. To be honest, he could only trust Nappa and Raditz. Everyone else was the enemy. He wouldn’t connect with anyone else, ever.

* * *

_“Apparently I was wrong about that,” Vegeta said with a chuckle. He was lying down outside in the garden and used his hands as a pillow. His son and little brother did the same. The three of them were looking at the stars which were so clear that night._

_Trunks tilted his head to observe his smirking father. He smiled at how relaxed the man felt. His tail lazily beat against his leg. It seemed like his father’s words rang true. This would be easier for him to talk about with them, especially because he made it beyond that part of his life. He had more difficulty talking about his life in the PTO and Frieza, and Trunks could hardly blame him for that._

_Even though he was now telling the boys about his behavior after gaining his freedom back, it was as he said—a distant memory. It made Trunks realize that where his father was over that lifestyle, he still wasn’t truly over what Frieza did to him. Trunks was lucky that his future self was willing to help create a world where he wouldn’t have to suffer the same horrid lifestyle only to return to the hell of his own timeline. They all made sacrifices so that he and Tarble wouldn’t suffer. It filled Trunks with pride, and so the prince made a promise to honor all of the people that suffered and not become complacent in the peaceful world where he was raised._

_“I’m glad you and Mom and Dad made up,” Tarble murmured. “Mom talks about it sometimes, how horrible she felt not being bonded to you.” Vegeta sat up and gazed upon his little brother. “She tells me never to think she’d do anything to hurt us. She doesn’t want our connection to break too.”_

_Vegeta was going to need to reassure his mother that it wouldn’t happen again. Over the years, he became more open with his parents vocally. Where the bond reformed with his mother, he knew she feared just what Tarble said. His father…the bond was taking a longer time to reform. Vegeta could sometimes feel a twinge, a presence, but it would always be fleeting. His father had been right that the bond wouldn’t ever be the same. That was why it was important for vocal communication._

_“It was difficult…but knowing she never knew what Father agreed to helped,” Vegeta stated. “She slipped that information to Bulma knowing that Bulma was loyal to me and would tell me. At first, I couldn’t believe it.”_

_Tarble frowned. “She told me she considered leaving Dad after that,” he whispered. “I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I feel funny doing so, but I thought you should know. You were the one affected by it all.”_

_Vegeta nodded. “We won’t say anything,” he assured his brother. “What’s done is done. She didn’t leave him, and they found their way back to each other. In all fairness, I already knew about it. She told me once before as well.”_

_Tarble smiled. “I guess that means she trusts us, huh?”_

_Vegeta agreed, and then Trunks interjected. “So, how did you feel once you saw all the changes?”_

* * *

The prince spent most of his time training, even as the years passed. Three years flew by, and Vegeta still held contempt and distrust for everyone except Nappa and Raditz. He started to see Raditz less and less, for the older Saiyan had to take care of and train Kakarot. Bardock eventually returned, took up a role in the communications department, and designed the central computer. With the purging system disbanded, Bardock no longer wanted to train with the soldiers. He was beyond their strength. He and the king, though, would train in secret. Only few knew of their transformations, but not those closest to them. To be honest, both Saiyans had an unspoken agreement never to let their children know the truth about the Super Saiyan transformation. To feel that loss and pain…it wasn’t worth it.

Raditz grew angrier toward his father for the man’s lack of interaction with the baby. Kakarot was already walking and talking, though he seemed much different than any other Saiyan. The older brother figured his disposition was a result of a head injury from when he wasn’t paying attention and Kakarot walked off a table. After that, Kakarot was more complacent and peaceful, and part of Raditz was able to recover because of his little brother. It didn’t mean that Raditz wasn’t still haunted. His solution was to hit the bars and drown himself in women. Vegeta knew of his former comrade’s antics, scolded him once, but kept quiet afterwards. What did Vegeta care? How Raditz chose to focus his energy had nothing to do with him.

One day, Vegeta was called into his father’s throne room. He had to harden himself before he opened the doors. Part of him still believed everything around him to be a dream, that he had finally gone crazy, and Frieza would be sitting directly in front of him. It was surprising to the nine-year-old that both of his parents sat side by side. That was a change. Before his mother hardly ever appeared in public.

“Son,” the king greeted.

Vegeta just looked dazed; his eyes shifted between his gruff father and his calm mother. His eyes settled on her and she smiled warmly at him. Fear crept into Vegeta’s heart again, especially when the queen opened her arms for a hug. Vegeta could remember few times where he was with his mother, but he always honored her with a hug because she was his caregiver. He had to force himself from his spot to embrace the woman and to be embraced. His arms stayed at his side, but he let the woman hold him. When she released him, he put distance between them.

The prince then bowed. Where he was in audience with his parents, he couldn’t break his formal habit. He dared to say that he was more afraid of them than Frieza. He knew Frieza well, but he could never understand what his parents were thinking. “Yes, sir?”

“Vegeta,” Kalina sighed, “you don’t have to be formal. You are our son, not our soldier.”

Vegeta’s expression softened, but he still stood stiffly and spoke to them as if he were reporting to them. Both royals exchanged wary glances, and then the king explained why he called for his son. “You will be training with a new recruit,” he informed him. The prince’s frown did not go unnoticed. “Kakarot, Raditz’s brother.”

The young Saiyan seemed surprised, but then his expression became shrouded in darkness. “That is not a good idea,” Vegeta stated evenly. “You should reconsider. I doubt Raditz would want his weakling brother to be hurt.”

“That’s not entirely accurate,” the queen said softly, earning her son’s attention. “Kakarot has become very strong in only three years of training with his brother.”

Vegeta flinched. Raditz had been doing his best to raise a child that wasn’t his while still trying to live his life the best he could post-Frieza. “Raditz agreed to the notion,” the king conveyed, and he noticed his son’s hesitance. “He is certain that Kakarot will provide you with a challenge. His power level increased greatly, and surprisingly his power rivals yours.”

The prince’s eyes narrowed, but he thought about the three-year-old. He had only seen him once when Raditz showed up one day for a meeting, probably the meeting where he agreed to allow his brother to be a punching bag. Despite Vegeta’s aggressive training, he did not wish to hurt the innocent child. It wasn’t the boy’s fault that Vegeta would lose himself in either his memories during combat training. “Raditz really approved this?” he questioned. To be honest, after his last training bout with Raditz, Vegeta couldn’t believe he’d be okay with the arrangement. His mouth settled into a straight, firm line. “I need to hear it from Raditz himself.”

With that, Vegeta left the room. His parents gaped at his retreating form.

Vegeta left the grounds. He knew he wasn’t supposed to without at least informing someone of where he was going, but he needed to escape. The palace was as suffocating as Frieza’s ship, and Vegeta couldn’t handle being surrounded by people he couldn’t trust. He needed to be alone. He needed to think.

After being gone so long, Vegeta felt like a stranger on his own planet and among his people. The prince set out, tried to find a place to go and cool off. He flew fast in one direction and passed over all the buildings until he barely saw even a home. He landed somewhere in the outskirts on a mountain peak that overlooked the terrain. It was night and the stars were shining brightly in the purple and black sky. His demeanor shifted; his tail unraveled from his waist and fell to his side. Since being back, it was the first moment of freedom Vegeta had—away from the palace and away from people. He decided then that the outskirts would be his place to get away. Of course, there were times where going to this peaceful place caused him to think too much about his past and would leave him feeling sour. When that would happen, he’d walk around the city which was becoming quite urban thanks to their alien allies.

* * *

_“So you didn’t want to train with Uncle Kakarot?”_

_Vegeta chuckled at the title. Though Trunks had never met the Saiyan, the families spoke at least once a week. Even far away, the children of each family managed to bond just through talking. Sometimes, he’d find Trunks, Tarble, and Raditz’s and Peppan’s daughter, Cella, named in honor of Nappa’s son, up late chatting with Kakarot’s boy Gohan._

_“I didn’t know what would happen,” he admitted. “I told you what happened when I trained with Raditz. At least Raditz understood what was going on with me, and he knew how to apprehend me if I lost sight of the fact that I wasn’t battling an enemy. Kakarot—he was an innocent child. Yes, he had been trained by Raditz, but I didn’t think he could truly keep up with me, and if I flew off the handle he wouldn’t have been able to handle it…or so I though.”_

_Trunks seemed interested and looked over to his uncle who looked perplexed. “What?” the prince asked him._

_“I… Why did you think you would do that?” Tarble questioned. “I know transitioning had to be hard, but you seem to handle yourself well.”_

_Vegeta sighed. “Brother, the way I am now is nothing like how I was back then,” he explained. “There were still times, even after I met Bulma, that I’d be transported back to that time. When I took her out around here, another Saiyan simply flirted with her and tried to get her to leave with him, and I saw red. I acted like I did back in the day. Had he not left us be, I most likely would have killed him. He ran off, and Bulma brought me back to reality._

_“When I first returned from Frieza, and even those few years later, I was even worse. There would be times where the walls around me looked like the ship and I would get worked up. A soldier attempted to help me one time, and I reacted as if I were being attacked. I didn’t even know what had happened until I came to and had the guy pinned to the ground with a ball of ki formed. I could have killed many people just because I lost myself during that time. I didn’t want to do that to Raditz’s brother. I respected him far too much for that.”_

_“It’s not your fault,” Trunks stated, “and obviously you and Uncle Kakarot are great friends. It couldn’t have gone that badly.”_

_“You’re right,” Vegeta agreed, “because my fears were misplaced. It was only in the beginning where I’d lose myself around him. Kakarot was one of the few people that knew exactly how to handle me.”_

* * *

Vegeta received the scolding of his life when he returned to the palace in the middle of the night, more so from his father than his mother. He was so shocked when the woman ran up to him and embraced him. At first, Vegeta thought the queen was going to charge up and attack him, and he tensed a bit while he mentally debated whether to react or not. His body froze when she hugged him—her way of showing him how relieved she was that he was safe. She asked him where he went, though he didn’t respond. Instead, he managed to softly muster, “I’m going to my quarters,” before he cautiously walked passed his concerned mother and irate father.

The prince felt like a prisoner in his own home. That was no secret from anyone. He would lash out, have momentary lapses in memory, sometimes threaten soldiers or citizens he found intimidating. Sometimes, the crowd was just too much for him. It was the reason that the king did not want his son going into the city alone. He didn’t want the child to get caught up in the past and memories of purging. There were many Saiyans who suffered from that condition, but a lot of them were older than the prince and found ways to manage it. The king didn’t know what to do to for his son. He couldn’t get the boy alone for even a second. Any time he tried, Vegeta would give curt answers or disappear for hours. He was certain his son was training himself to death for Kalina normally went to check on her son and found him passed out on the floor of his room. Their kitchen staff informed them that the prince had been skipping all of his meals. They needed to do something or Vegeta would die from the self-abuse.

Something had to be done, and so the king started to impose more restrictions on his son’s actions. He requested the child ease up on the training, demanded he join him and his mother for mandatory meals. Vegeta had been angered by the order; it caused him to lash out by abandoning the palace for days. Nappa found him by chance visiting the outskirts for unknown reasons. The prince was lying on the ground, sprawled out, looking up at the sky. “Hey, kid,” he greeted with a somewhat gentle tone. “What are you doing out here?”

Vegeta scoffed. “Contemplating what the hell I’m doing back here. I don’t belong at the palace.”

The older Saiyan took a seat next to the child and looked up at the sky. “I get it, Vegeta, believe me I do. With time, things will get better. We’ve been on edge for so long, it’s hard to believe we won’t be attacked at a moment’s notice.”

“Hm,” Vegeta returned, closing his eyes. “I needed to get away. I can’t handle it.”

Nappa’s attention shifted to the boy’s, his eyes filled with concern. “Like I said…time. Until then, if you need to get away, you can always come here. My son lived out here for a while.” Vegeta sat up and looked at former general. “I was going to clean out the place. If you want, you can hide out there when you need to get away.”

“Why?” Vegeta asked, his voice raw with emotion. “We are no longer on Frieza’s ship. Why do you still insist on helping me? The battle is over.”

“Maybe,” Nappa murmured with a fond smile. “To be honest, you grew on me, kid. I get why you’re still struggling. I am myself, and I’m decades older than you. All we can do is try to live our lives the best we can and avoid situations that put us back in that dark place. Saying that, I hear Kakarot is to be your new training partner.” When Vegeta glared at him, the older Saiyan corrected his statement. “Raditz told me. I ran into him the other day. He and his father have been training the boy.”

Vegeta gave a curt nod. “It’s not like I have a choice in the matter, anyway.” Nappa frowned at this. “My father is restricting all of my activities. I can’t stand it.”

“He will eventually back off,” Nappa assured the prince. “They just got you back, and both of your parents are concerned about your wellbeing.”

Anger surged up in Vegeta. “They’re the ones who sent me away!”

Nappa didn’t react. He knew if he tried to defend the queen who had never approved of sending her son away, Vegeta would shut down, and Nappa couldn’t have that. “Sometimes parents make mistakes,” Nappa sighed. “I know I did with my own son.” Vegeta’s expression softened as Nappa became pensive. “I hurt him by not accepting what he had become and his trust in me faltered. I can never make it right.”

Vegeta didn’t know what to say, and there was a momentary silence. “Celen was a good man,” he eventually stated. “I heard what he did. Even if you can’t make it right, you can at least be proud of him. He’ll know.”

A smile appeared on Nappa’s face. “Yeah. You’re right. So, what are you going to do now?”

The prince scoffed and crossed his arms. “Go back to that hellhole I call home,” he remarked.

“Just remember you have a place out here if you need to get away.” Vegeta nodded before he took his leave.

He returned to the palace through his bedroom window, just in time too, as one of the soldiers knocked on his metal door. Vegeta went to answer it and was surprised to see his uncle standing there. “Your father would like for you to meet him at the training facility,” Zorn stated.

“Fine,” Vegeta replied. He pushed past the general and made his way across the palace. He wasn’t surprised to see his father there, but he was surprised to see a young Saiyan that looked like Raditz’s father, Bardock. The little boy saw Vegeta first and wore a big grin on his face. Vegeta sneered. He already hated this kid.

“Vegeta, this is your new training partner,” the king introduced.

The younger Saiyan walked up to the prince, and the grin never left his face as he excitedly said, “Hi, I’m Kakarot. It’s nice to meet you.”

The irritation momentarily left Vegeta as bewilderment took over. Was this kid for real? The prince’s eyes looked down to his outstretched hand. He awkwardly took it and shook his training partner’s hand.

“I will leave you boys to it,” King Vegeta declared stoically while he mentally beamed on the inside. Already, he had faith his son and Bardock’s would get along. Where the king himself wasn’t a fan of Bardock, he had to admit he was strong, as were both his sons. It was only fitting that if Bardock had become King Vegeta’s secret training partner and rival that their sons would have that same bond.

“So, Geta,” Kakarot called out as they walked into a private room. Vegeta glared at the oblivious child. “Wanna just jump into a spar?”

The older Saiyan growled. “First off, never call me that again.” The prince was fuming as the other Saiyan murmured an ‘okie dokie’. “And second, you should probably warm up. I’d hate to injure you right off the bat.”

Kakarot smirked, and Vegeta could feel his confidence exude in waves. “Oh, I’m not worried. I know you’re good, really good, but I’m good too. And trust me, I know what I’m talking about. Raditz was afraid to fight me too for a while. Dad mostly trained me, but he only went hard on me when I asked about my mother.” He frowned at that. “I think he’s trying to discourage me from asking what happened to her.”

Vegeta eyed the boy strangely and paused in his stride. He just met Kakarot, yet the kid was confiding all of this stuff in him despite the fact that they were strangers. It seemed like the boy was already starting to form a bond with him. He was so confident in his skills and had actually attempted to reassure Vegeta of his unspoken concern. Kakarot sensed Vegeta stop and turned back to look at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Vegeta murmured, his voice even. “I just don’t understand you.”

Kakarot’s expression brightened. “Don’t worry. Raditz doesn’t either. It’s okay. Now, come on; let’s fight, Geta!”

“Don’t call me that!”

* * *

_Vegeta sat alone after he sent Trunks and Tarble off to bed. He hadn’t realized just how much he missed Kakarot until he started talking about him. It had been so long since he saw his friend in person—six, almost seven, years since they fought Cold side by side. This distance between them was infuriating. Vegeta shook his head. Something needed to give. He couldn’t stand the fact that his rival was not there._

_“Son, what are you doing up?”_

_Vegeta turned to see his father standing in the doorway. They must have come back from their trip early. “Nothing,” Vegeta remarked before he stood up._

_The king prevented him from leaving, an admonishing glare on his face. “Not nothing. What is it?”_

_“Nothing that concerns you,” Vegeta elaborated. “I’m going to bed.”_

_The king watched his son walk away but flinched when Vegeta paused in the doorway. “Start answering Tarble’s questions,” he demanded. “It’ll break your trust if you don’t. He already knows the majority of our past. I’ve been telling him with Trunks everything that happened. He’s wanted answers for a long time.”_

_“Understood,” the king remarked and then sighed. “Thank you.”_

_“Hm.” Vegeta left his father alone in the communications room, not knowing what his father was about to do._

_The king sat down in front of the monitor and called up Kakarot. It took a while for the Saiyan to answer. He yawned as he did so. “King Vegeta,” he greeted in the middle of his yawn. “Why are you calling? It’s the middle of the night.”_

_“Contact Earth’s dog leader tomorrow and inform him that I would like to renegotiate the alliance.”_

_Kakarot was instantly awake at that; his mouth dropped open in surprise._

_Unfortunately, though, for the king, Earth’s people were still bitter about being abandoned and the leader refused to negotiate. He decided to keep his attempt from Vegeta, not wanting to upset his son and daughter-in-law more._


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

Kakarot was right to be as confident as he was. Vegeta learned that underestimating this young fighter was a mistake early on in their spar. He knew how to avoid Vegeta’s most powerful blasts while sending his own strong counterattack. At first it was a game of cat and mouse where every five minutes, they switched roles. Eventually, Kakarot broke out of the pattern and took control of the fight which left the prince to feel cornered.

Vegeta did not do well backed into corners. Flashes of Zarbon or Frieza appeared before him, and he snapped and went after his rival in full fury. Kakarot managed to evade all of the attacks, thankfully. He was actually startled by Vegeta’s aggressive shift. He couldn’t even call out to him like he did whenever his brother got into that sort of mode for Vegeta was very quick and his barrage of punches was unending.

That is, until, Kakarot’s stomach growled.

The sound instantly snapped Vegeta back into reality. His attention shifted to Kakarot before he launched himself to the other side of the room to put some distance between him and the boy. His breathing was heavy, and even Kakarot could tell how shaken the prince was. Still, he had other matters to attend to. Cheerily, he suggested, “Hey, Vegeta, let’s go get some food. I’m starving!”

Vegeta jumped when he heard Kakarot call his name, but then he was once again puzzled by Kakarot’s strange behavior. He was completely different than what Vegeta was used to: innocent and naïve and way too trusting. The prince didn’t know what to do with him.

He nodded, agreed to break and get some lunch as his own stomach growled. Vegeta hadn’t been eating much, already lectured by his mother how important it was for him to refuel. She lectured him about excessively training also, but Vegeta still trained for hours upon hours—he only reduced the amount of training time slightly. Now, his father demanded he join them for meals. At least lunch he didn’t have to suffer with them. He and Kakarot could go to the barracks and eat with the soldiers trained by Zorn. It was the closest place to go.

Vegeta watched in disgust as Kakarot shoveled food into his mouth. His table manners were awful, worse than Raditz’s and Nappa’s combined, and that was saying quite a bit. The prince wasn’t eating much despite putting a whole bunch of food on his plate. Honestly, he didn’t know if he could. On Frieza’s ship, the bastard made sure to only give the Saiyans enough calories to survive. Anything extra that could fuel their power more, he avoided. Whenever they trained, they managed, but it was difficult to get stronger.

Kakarot noticed that Vegeta was hardly touching his meal and then looked to his own favorites in front of him. He picked up a slab of meat from his tray and daggled it in front of Vegeta while he scarfed down the food. “W-what is this?” Vegeta asked the boy, his voice wrought with astonishment.

“Wan soom?” Kakarot spoke out with his mouth full.

Vegeta shook his head and took the meat. “That’s disgusting,” he admonished. “Don’t talk with your mouth full in my presence.”

Kakarot swallowed big and then smiled and rubbed the back of his head shyly. “Sorry, Vegeta. Raditz scolds me about that, too.”

The prince rolled his eyes. “Of course he does,” he muttered before he glanced at the three-year-old again. “I still don’t understand you.”

Kakarot chewed and swallowed before he tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“I nearly killed you,” Vegeta growled, his fist clenched. “How are you still this comfortable around me?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

Vegeta sighed and shook his head. “You’re telling me all this personal shit; you barely know me. I nearly killed you in a simple spar. What is your deal? Are you really that stupid?”

Kakarot looked a little dazed before he frowned and rubbed the back of his head. “Wow, I didn’t think of it like that,” he stated, but then he smiled at the prince. “We’re training partners, so I figured it was okay to share private stuff. It’s not like you’re going to tell anyone, and I wouldn’t tell anyone anything about you, really. Raditz hasn’t said much about you except that you were very brave and loyal to all of us. I really wanted to meet you.”

Vegeta couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This boy knew nothing about him except what Raditz said, and that’s what prompted him to be his training partner. The prince’s expression darkened, and he scoffed and turned away. “And nearly being destroyed by me hasn’t changed your opinion,” he jeered.

“Well, did you want to kill me?”

The prince immediately sat straight and looked at the boy with troubled eyes. Kakarot didn’t seem fazed as he waited for Vegeta’s answer. “No,” Vegeta admitted. “I…that desire left me when I returned. I still have these moments where I get lost in a memory. I don’t do well being backed into a corner.”

Kakarot nodded and then smiled warmly. “Like I said, I understand. Raditz doesn’t have moments like that often, but he still has them enough for me to know how to handle them. I got a little excited. I didn’t mean to back you into a corner. That was my fault. I’m sorry.”

Vegeta chuckled. “You’re sorry,” he spoke to reiterate what had been said. “You don’t have to apologize for my sanity being broken.”

“It may be broken now, but we have a lot of time to fix it,” Kakarot offered. “Nothing is ever truly broken, and it’s never too late to change.”

Eyes narrowed at the spiky-haired child. “What are you?”

“A Saiyan,” Kakarot laughed. “What else?”

* * *

_“I’m glad you had people to talk to,” Trunks stated. He and Vegeta were alone that day as Tarble was with the king. King Vegeta began to actually answer the child’s questions and wonderings. Vegeta had been right to inform the king. He felt the beginnings of distrust from his brother. He was thankful that his father was actually doing something about it._

_“Kakarot became one of the only ones I spoke to before your mother,” Vegeta replied casually. “Raditz had been living his own life…dating a whole bunch of women.”_

_“I thought he dated Aunt Peppan.”_

_“Not until shortly before Kakarot and I left for Earth, maybe the year before. Up until then, he was getting himself into trouble. As for Nappa, I always knew he was friends with my mother, so as he started spending more time with her mourning for his son, I began to trust him less. He never told my mother anything, so our bond was never broken, and when he accompanied me to Earth he made it clear that he was loyal to both me and my parents. He never told them anything personal, and he made sure to explain away my actions, even if it was partly a lie just so that he’d protect what I told him._

_“Kakarot, though, he was always there. After we formed a bond, it was easier to tell him things. Knowing that Raditz confided in the boy was enough for me to know that I could as well. There were things I could never tell him, that I hardly was able to tell your mother. I’m surprised I even told you and Tarble the details. I didn’t wish to taint anyone that way.”_

_“You didn’t taint me, Dad,” Trunks assured him. “I wanted to know. It doesn’t make me think any differently of you. Well, that’s kind of a lie. I respect you a lot more than I already had, and I’m immensely thankful you kept me from living that lifestyle. I can’t even imagine it fully.”_

_“You’ll never have to,” Vegeta responded. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”_

_Trunks smiled. No one said anything for a few moments, so the boy decided to change the subject. “So, how did Uncle Raditz meet Aunt Peppan?”_

* * *

Through the years, both Vegeta and Kakarot saw less and less of Raditz. For the most part, it was because Kakarot spent a lot of time training with Vegeta. The boy would return, but Raditz was usually out at some bar. There would be times where Raditz would bring a random girl home for a night, caught by his father, and once by Kakarot who found them at least covered up by the sheets after their sessions. Strangely enough, Raditz didn’t want Kakarot knowing about this stuff when he was younger and just said he and his lady friend were having a sleepover. The child never thought anything of it.

Kakarot spent more time at the palace away from their childhood home, mainly because their father gave him hell any time the teenager showed any sort of emotion. Raditz always did his best to be there for his brother for emotional support even though it wasn’t his strong suit. Raditz had a soft spot for Kakarot, but their father did not and would usually treat the teenager like shit every time even the slightest emotion appeared on his face. Because of this, and the fact that the royals were sending Vegeta off-planet for school, Kakarot would go along for the ride.

Truthfully, his brother didn’t need a degree living on the planet. The prince didn’t either. The reason they were going to Earth was because the king and queen had barely seen a change in their son over the years. They hoped a trip to an allied world would benefit their son.

Around Kakarot, Vegeta was more laidback. In fact, Raditz heard some soldiers complain about the two teenagers causing a ruckus with juvenile pranks and mischief. Raditz was relieved that his brother helped the prince get to a more stable mindset over the years. His innocence helped Raditz, which was why, when Kakarot expressed his desire to meet Vegeta, his older brother approved it. He knew the prince was struggling the worst out of the three of them. The older Saiyan truly believed his little brother would have a positive effect on Vegeta. He was right.

Now that Vegeta was leaving the planet with Kakarot, Raditz knew that the air around his home would be different. He and his father never really connected in his life. For some strange reason, Bardock had more of an issue with either of his sons leaving his sight. The father didn’t care that the king wanted the prince to have a ‘multicultural experience’. He didn’t care if the king was hoping it would heal his son’s mental state. He did everything to convince Kakarot to stay, even threatened to cut his allowance. Kakarot didn’t care. He knew Vegeta would look out for him.

But before all that, the year before Kakarot left for Earth with Vegeta, Raditz became involved with a woman. It began one night, when Raditz was on the prowl at a bar and looking for his next one-night stand. There was a large array of women in the bar he frequented, but his eyes were instantly drawn to a girl who was laughing with her group of friends. Even the bartenders were laughing, and one of the female workers said, “Oh, Peppan, you’re hilarious.”

“Thanks!” the girl chimed before she took a sip of her drink. She looked to the other girls and then started to tell them a story of one of her latest arguments with someone, though Raditz could care less. This girl was loose, an easy target. He knew he looked good, and she would be putty in his presence like all the others. Confidently, he strode right up to her, earning her startled attention. He eyed her thin, muscular form and resisted the urge to lick his lips as his dark orbs shone bright with desire. “Hey,” he greeted smoothly.

The girl looked nervous and blushed brightly before she ran her hand through her short, dark hair. “Um, hello,” she returned. The Saiyan looked over to her friends who simply shrugged. She mustered up her courage and faced Raditz. “Can I help you?”

A victorious grin was her answer. The fact that she engaged with him prompted Raditz to try and pick her up. “What’s a pretty, little lady like you doing in a place like this?”

Peppan tried to act as casually as possible, even when Raditz used one of his hands to glide over her shoulder. Her eyes narrowed. “Clearly, I am spending some time with my friends after a difficult day.” She pulled away from him; her eyes and posture highlighted her indignation.

This only seemed to egg Raditz on. Normally, girls came with him right away, save a few. He rather liked the feisty approach this girl took. He couldn’t wait to have her. “Why don’t you spare some time to spend with me?” he slurred.

“Not interested.”

Those words stung Raditz more than he cared to admit. He had been doing this for years and was never flat out refused. It was a blow to his pride, and anger seeped into his heart. It awoke a horrible, familiar feeling in him, something he hadn’t felt since he was on Frieza’s ship. That humiliation brought his mind back to that time, and he wasn’t exactly willing to be nice.

In his rage, he grabbed her which caused the female Saiyan to yelp. Peppan’s friends were concerned, but she just smiled, waved them off, and assured them that she would be fine. She allowed Raditz to lead her out of the bar. Once they were in the alleyway, Raditz tossed her against the wall. He never really cared about women save that he could use them to quell that incompleteness he had felt ever since he suffered at the hands of that monster. “You little bitch,” he hissed. “How dare you insult me? You’re lucky I gave you the time of day.”

“I’m lucky?” Peppan questioned sarcastically before her eyes narrowed at the other Saiyan. “Don’t think I don’t know who you are, Raditz. I’ve heard of you. You skulk around looking for casual flings to satisfy you. I’m not that kind of Saiyan. I’m not looking for a fling. It was only fair to be honest.”

Raditz didn’t seem to hear her, though he did growl and trapped her against the wall using his body and stature to intimidate her. “Even if you know who I am, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

The female Saiyan sighed, and Raditz became even more infuriated when he saw pity deep within her irises. “Look,” she huffed, “I know you’ve been through hell, and to be honest I feel sorry for you which is why I didn’t fight back as you so rudely manhandled me out here. Still, no matter what you’ve been through, it doesn’t excuse your horrid behavior. You are free, but it doesn’t give you the right to treat people this way. You can’t just expect to take what you want and not give a shit about the other person.”

What she said brought Raditz back to reality, and he was in a daze. It gave the girl her chance to defend herself. Peppan elbowed him hard in the gut, and Raditz had to grip the wall to prevent him from falling to his knees. The female managed to slip away from him and fly off leaving Raditz to watch as she escaped. Honestly, he was glad she did. He hadn’t expected to react so strongly to her rejection. She wasn’t wrong. It was clear she didn’t want him, to be one of his affairs. It made sense. She seemed very strong and confident, sure of herself. After the words of wisdom rang out in his head again, he realized that he had pursued a woman who was too good for him, who deserved better than to be sought out for sex by a ruthless man.

It was the first moment that Raditz wanted to be better.

* * *

_Trunks frowned. He knew his father had actively censored the story thinking Trunks had no idea what he was talking about. The boy had read enough books in the library and a lot of medical textbooks to understand the type of ‘date’ Raditz was looking for. He sensed his father’s discomfort discussing these things. Of course, all his father said was common knowledge to most Saiyans. Raditz used to go to bars to pick up women, one day met Peppan, attempted to force her to ‘go on a date’, and then she told him off. Raditz said that himself when Trunks asked him. Trunks hoped to get more information from his father, but if his father did know more, like what Peppan said to reform his uncle, he kept quiet. Where it was a little frustrating, Trunks understood. His father was loyal to Raditz with good reason, and it wasn’t his right to pry further._

_“I’m glad she talked sense into him,” Trunks stated, eventually losing his frustration. “He seemed really unhappy.”_

_Vegeta smirked briefly having sensed his son’s curiosity despite not getting a more elaborate answer. He knew the boy valued his Saiyan heritage, the value of trust and honesty. The child was used to getting a straight answer when a question was asked, but, as he got older and his curiosity took hold, his questions became more in-depth, and he was learning that not everything could be answered at the risk of alienating a comrade. The older prince didn’t even need to explain it to Trunks. He could sense all of his emotions and knew that the boy accepted his very short answer. His son was learning and growing up quickly._

_“We all were,” he replied. “I still didn’t feel like I was a part of the royal family. I continued to distance myself from my parents. I still held onto my title. It was one of the only things that kept me alive on Frieza’s ship, to know I was the prince of the greatest warrior race, that I was the Prince of all Saiyans. I held onto it, even when Frieza’s lackeys spit all over it and even though I did not feel like it once I returned._

_“Nappa struggled as well. He told you quite a bit about his son, I’m sure. With the lack of closure, knowing that one of those ice bastards took him, he struggled all the time. My mother was his only confidant, really. He’d say things to me, and now you, at times, but I don’t think he’s ever truly recovered from it.” Trunks grew sad and nodded in agreement. He didn’t think if he were in Nappa’s position that he could ever truly get over it._

_His father continued. “Raditz—he didn’t know what to do with himself. He was restless, but he didn’t train as vigorously as I did, and he needed to burn that energy. It’s why he pursued women instead of going off somewhere and attacking. We all had our outlets. Once we returned, Raditz was forced to become his baby brother’s caretaker because his father was off somewhere grieving and didn’t bother to check in. Once Kakarot was able to handle himself, Raditz was able to fully return to that lifestyle he used to distract himself from the real problem. Meeting Peppan was his turning point. Meeting your mother was mine.”_

* * *

Raditz didn’t return back to the bar for a few weeks after the exchange. He spent all of that time training himself and reflecting on the words of the female Saiyan. He barely remembered her name, but everything about her made such a profound impression on his life. Because of her words, Raditz was never going to be the same again. He didn’t know how to process any of this on his own.

He was alone in the house with Kakarot who was watching some foreign fighting program from one of the other planets. As a result of the alliances, planetary travel changed as did joint communications and technology. It all started with his father creating the central computer. Years before, planets decided to share information through a visual media. Earthlings called it a television, and there was no other translation for the device in any other race. All planets shared channels, and each race in the alliance had their own. It helped inform people of current events on each planet, though there were some planets that had programs for entertainment like sports or fictional stories.

Raditz immediately went to leave the home, but Kakarot’s voice stole his attention. “Hey, Raditz, where are ya going?”

“Nowhere,” he lied. “I just need some time to myself.”

His brother frowned. “Memory?”

Raditz shook his head. It wasn’t a lie. Sure, a memory had caused all of this, but now he just needed to find an answer. He needed help figuring out what he needed to do to escape the past. It wasn’t something his innocent, little brother could handle, even if he was almost seventeen years old. “I just need to get out.”

“Well, okay then,” Kakarot replied. He got up and turned off the set. “I’m going to head to the palace and see Vegeta. He’s been very upset lately.”

“Why?” Raditz questioned neutrally, though he did feel concern for the prince.

Kakarot grunted and shook his head in disbelief. “He and the king got into a fight,” Kakarot explained. “I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it yet. A lot of the soldiers were talking about it.” Raditz didn’t tell his brother he hadn’t been frequenting the palace for nearly a month. “Anyway, he and I were training when his father interrupted and demanded to speak with him. I hung around and Vegeta told me what happened, but he said everyone knew about the disagreement.

“Vegeta hasn’t slowed down in his training for years, and the one day I didn’t go this week Vegeta hurt himself during a training exercise and it upset his mother. She tried to talk to him about easing up on the training, but Vegeta got upset and basically told her everyone has become complacent. He thinks Cold and Cooler will attack one day. His mother told his father to talk to him, and it led to a huge fight where the king said Vegeta was being paranoid and then limited his solo training to once a week. He wants Vegeta to study politics and trade agreements and other stuff like that. The only time he can get any training done is when I’m there.”

Raditz wasn’t surprised by Vegeta’s ‘paranoia’. The former third-class also believed the conflict with the Arcosians wasn’t over. They’d strike when the Saiyans least expected it. It’s why he had still been training up until a few weeks ago. It was another reason why he wanted Kakarot to train with Vegeta. Vegeta would make sure his brother knew how to handle himself. Raditz and Bardock had done what they could, but Kakarot needed someone to train with who was at or beyond his level.

It was still a good thing that the king wanted to teach Vegeta about the new way the planet was run but giving him limits was the worst thing he could have done. If anything, Vegeta probably felt a huge sting to his pride having to answer to another leading body, even if his father was not a vicious and cruel tyrant like Frieza. Raditz shook his head. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get involved. Vegeta needed to fight his own battle, defeat whatever invisible enemy he was facing. Sadly, Raditz was facing the exact same type of enemy. He only hoped that he and Vegeta would be able to figure it out. “Tell the prince I wish him well,” Raditz instructed. “If he needs anything of us, let him know we’ll do whatever we can.”

“Already done, bro,” Kakarot returned before he headed up to his room to get into his training clothes. Raditz released a chuckle and then left for the bar.

He was surprised to see Peppan working the bar, but it made sense considering how friendly she was with the other workers the night he met her. She clearly worked there and was in the middle of mixing drinks for a group of guys that just entered. After handing the Saiyans their drinks, she offered them a smile and waited for them to leave before she wiped her brow. As she moved to handle another task, her eyes landed on Raditz and they both stared at each other before she narrowed her eyes at him and turned away.

Raditz bit back a sigh and confidently strode to the bar. She was the only one working, so eventually she came over to him and angrily huffed, “What?”

He smirked beside himself before his expression grew seriously and he glared at his arms. “Mind getting a drink for the lady?”

Peppan’s brow raised before she glanced around the bar which at that precise moment had no other women. She was about to scold him before she realized this. “Which lady?”

Raditz’s eyes simply bore into hers and she understood. Peppan shook her head. “Can’t. I’m working.”

“Just a few minutes,” Raditz offered. “At least give me that.”

The female Saiyan growled in frustration, but she relented. “Fine. Five minutes. That’s all you get.”

She mixed herself a drink and made the same for Raditz before she joined him on the other side of the bar. “So, what do you want?”

A wry chuckle escaped the long-haired Saiyan. “To be honest, I’m not sure. For starters, maybe your name would be nice.”

The girl eyed him warily and looked at him like he was crazy. Perhaps he was, but if that was what he was requesting, it wasn’t the worst thing. “Peppan. And like I said, I already know who you are.”

She noticed his expression darken as his grip on the glass increased. What she said struck a nerve. Eventually, after about a minute, he sighed and loosened his grip. “I deserved that,” he remarked, his voice full of disgust. “I admit that I do. What I did was uncalled for.”

“At least you’re aware of that,” Peppan responded, her voice much softer than it had been initially. She took in Raditz’s tense features. “So why are you here?”

“I told you,” he grunted. “I don’t even know. I don’t know what to do anymore. I thought I had buried my past years ago, and then it comes out in the worst way. You didn’t deserve it. It shouldn’t have happened.”

Raditz gulped a large sip of his drink and slammed the glass down on the table so hard that it nearly shattered and made Peppan jump. “Look, Raditz, I can forgive you for it. Just don’t let it happen again.”

“I didn’t even know it was happening the first time.”

Peppan’s whole countenance changed. That was a big thing to admit to a stranger, and she instantly realized what Raditz was looking for. He needed a confidant, someone to assure him things were okay. She had no idea why he was coming to her after what happened, but she couldn’t find it in her heart to shatter the recovering Saiyan. Nervously, she placed her hand on his shoulder instantly gained Raditz’s attention. He looked horrified, panicked. “Don’t,” he admonished. “Don’t look at me like that. Don’t touch me like that. I don’t need your pity.”

“It’s not pity,” Peppan assured him with a smile. “I told you. I know of _you_ , not just your favorite pastime.” She was teasing him, he knew, but it didn’t make him feel lighter. “I know of what you did for the royal family and the prince. Going willingly was brave, especially knowing what you were getting into. I can’t even imagine what it was like. I went on one purge once when I was younger with my father, and to this day it still makes me feel sick. It’s why I decided to be a bartender. Sometimes when my shift is over, I can numb myself from those memories, only if they really bother me, though.”

Raditz nodded. “How old were you?” he asked. He didn’t expect the female Saiyan to actually engage with him in conversation, but he wanted to keep it going. He tried to ignore the stroke to his ego when she called him brave.

“About five,” she stated. “My father didn’t want to bring me along. He knew I didn’t have the stomach for it. My mother, though, knew it was the only thing that provided money and status. It was all she ever cared about, and she hates that I work in such a ‘low-class establishment’. Parents, right?”

The long-haired Saiyan found himself chuckling. He agreed with her statement considering the father he had. “The purging life is _not_ what it was all cracked up to be. Your mother shouldn’t have wanted that for you if you couldn’t handle it.”

“Even when purging was abolished, she still wanted me to join the army,” Peppan admitted. “It’s not that I don’t like to train, and working with other soldiers could be fun, but actual combat…” She drifted off before she shook her head from her thoughts. “Uh, I probably shouldn’t have told you all of that,” she laughed awkwardly.

Raditz took another sip of his drink. “It’s fine. I didn’t mind. I said some stuff too that I probably shouldn’t have.” He placed his glass down and then snarled slightly. “I don’t know how to keep control of myself. I thought I was doing a damn good job of it, and then you rejected me, and it all got shot to hell.”

“It’s okay,” she reassured. “I get it. Believe me. After the war with…” She paused and looked around the bar not wanting to call attention to them. No one liked hearing Frieza’s name, ever. “You know who…my father struggled. He got into random fights with other Saiyans who were suffering the same traumatic condition. Even if we weren’t all on that ship, some of us still saw enough. Only the most veteran soldiers were able to push the feeling aside. My father was one of them, but he still had momentary lapses. It’s all it was. I’m sorry I made you feel like shit, but to be honest I really didn’t want to be someone’s one-night stand.”

Raditz nodded, but he didn’t want to verbally agree with her. He had come to terms with the fact that this woman didn’t deserve to be his fling. It rang true even more so now because of this kindness she graced him. Instead, he changed the subject. “Would your father be pissed you’re sharing his personal business?”

“My father died years ago,” she replied, growing sad. “He and my mother got into an argument and he left. We got a call from one of the allied planets saying that they had been attacked and my father defended them and defeated the enemy at the cost of his life. They couldn’t give us much more detail than that. It’ been that woman and me ever since.”

Raditz didn’t know what to say, but he slipped up some words in response. “I never knew my mother, not really. I know she was there when I was young, but I hardly remember her. I was mostly trained by my father before I decided to move to the palace for training. I remember a woman, but whenever I ask my father about her, he says she was no one. I asked if she was my mother once out of curiosity and he punched me in the face. Whoever she was, I really don’t care. Since I returned from that frost demon, it was mainly me and my little brother who was born just before the battle. My father avoids us both for the most part.”

“I wish my mother avoided me,” Peppan said before she finished off her drink. In that moment, her eyes wandered around the bar. A lot of people left. It was a slow day, she assumed. “Another?”

Raditz seemed surprised. “We passed five minutes a long time ago,” he reminded her. “I thought that was all I had.”

“That was all Asshole Raditz had,” Peppan teased playfully with a wink. Raditz growled in response, but mainly because he was still angry at himself. “Apologetic Raditz is much better company.”

Raditz relaxed a bit before he flashed her a lazy smile. “Alright, then,” he replied as he accepted another drink. Whatever it was, it was definitely good. He’d have to ask Peppan what it was, especially if he was going to return to the place. He had to admit, Bartender Peppan was definitely better company than One-Night Stand Peppan. He could never see her that way, not after everything they shared that day.

* * *

_Vegeta and Trunks didn’t have much to talk about after his wonderings on Raditz’s relationship, so he and the boy found Bulma, and the family spent the day together. They went out into the city; Trunks wanted to explore more and more places. Bulma suggested that when Vegeta could actually take a long break, they’d have to go on a trip together around the planet so that Trunks could see everything he wanted. Vegeta secretly enjoyed the fact that Trunks was so interested in the planet. It reminded him so strikingly of Bulma’s blatant interest when he brought her there the first time. Everything was new to her then, and she felt like she was truly home._

_After returning home, they did some things around the palace, like reading in the library together and training. Early on in the training session, Bulma bowed out feeling increasingly tired. Vegeta was concerned, but Bulma assured him that she was simply tired and just needed a goodnight’s rest. Trunks decided to go with his mother to make sure she got back to their room safely before the child reported back to his father and told him that the woman fell asleep instantly._

_Trunks left to hang out with Tarble before bed, and Vegeta went to the communications room. It had been a while since he spoke to Kakarot, and he actually wanted to see how the Saiyan and his family were faring. Kakarot picked up immediately and grinned wide when he saw Vegeta standing there with his arms crossed. “Hey, buddy! What’s been going on?”_

_“Not much,” he remarked. “I was looking after things while my parents were away and telling the boys about Planet Vegeta’s history.”_

_“That’s a good thing,” Kakarot beamed. “How’s it been going?”_

_“Talking about Frieza was hard,” Vegeta admitted. “Everything else that happened after isn’t nearly as infuriating.”_

_His friend smiled sympathetically. “Well, that’s to be expected. Sorry I haven’t called lately. Things have been crazy on my end. Chi-Chi just found out a week ago that she’s pregnant again.” Vegeta could feel his friend’s pride and excitement. “And then we’ve been trying to help with the protests. Your dad told you about Earth, right?” Vegeta was stunned, and his friend could see that and frowned. “He didn’t tell you, did he?”_

_“Tell me what?”_

_Kakarot sighed. “Oh boy…okay. He called me a few nights ago and asked if I could have the Earth’s leader talk to him about renegotiating the alliance.”_

_“He did?”_

_Kakarot nodded. “Yeah, but it didn’t go well. The next day, the leader asked the other countries what they wanted to do, and they’re honestly not happy about being abandoned for the actions of one Earthling. They don’t want to negotiate with your father. When Dr. Briefs got wind of it, he tried to speak to the world leaders, but because of his involvement with Cold, no one would listen to him, either. Then I tried to get involved, but I’m a Saiyan, so like Dr. Briefs, they feel I’m biased. Krillin, though, as well as the other friends we made on Earth are getting petitions and organizing protests to try to get the leaders to reconsider. They’re refusing to budge, though.”_

_All of this was news to Vegeta. He never expected this turn of events, especially the fact that his father would ever consider reforming an alliance with Earth. It had been six years, and the man never indicated that desire at all. Vegeta couldn’t believe the hostility from the world leaders. He agreed that his father’s decision was wrong, but he didn’t expect it to cause such backlash in regard to renegotiation. It made sense, though, since Dr. Briefs tried to get involved. No one trusted him anymore. His influence took a huge hit because of Cold. Vegeta still didn’t know why Dr. Briefs did what he did, but even he didn’t want to see the man fail. Bulma stilled loved and cared about her father._

_Vegeta shook his head. “Tell them to pull back if the leaders don’t see reason,” the prince remarked. “I’d hate for there to be a war on Earth because no one can come to an agreement. Try to find out if they’d be willing to work with Bulma and I when the time comes. She and I will continue to prepare for that day.”_

_“You’ve got it, Vegeta,” Kakarot assured him. Out of nowhere, both men heard the distinct sound of someone retching. “Uh, sorry, Vegeta. Chi-Chi isn’t feeling too well. Can we talk another night?”_

_“Of course,” Vegeta agreed. “Take care of yourself, Kakarot.”_

_“You too. Oh, and tell my brother I said ‘hi’.”_

_Vegeta nodded and then disconnected the unit and shook his head. Once again, his father was keeping things from him, but Vegeta accepted long ago that he and his father, where they were more open, would continue to keep certain subjects to themselves. Most likely, the king thought he was protecting him, but he didn’t need protecting. Everything would eventually work out._

_He would definitely tell Bulma that his father did try to work things out with Earth. She would understand the outcome, though he knew she’d be disappointed that they still had a while to go before Earth would accept the alliance back into their hearts._

_He would have to discuss matters with Raditz, work on preparing the army. Vegeta had no doubt that if Earth was ever in trouble, they’d want the Saiyans’ assistance. With Cooler out there, they still needed to be ready. Vegeta refused to ignore his paranoia. Clearly, he had been right the first time. At least he knew he had Raditz and Nappa on his side._

* * *

Everything was working out for Raditz the more time he spent with Peppan. In the few months after his apology, he frequented the bar just to talk to the woman. They bonded and became good friends. The two Saiyans certainly knew enough about each other to consider themselves so. It was simple, peaceful. Raditz found he could confide a lot in her, especially on nights where the bar was crowded and his nerves were high. Peppan would notice and allow him into the back. A few times, she took off work just so that they could get away from the bar. Raditz was grateful that she made that sacrifice for him, but he also felt guilty that he cheated her of a few hours pay which her mother would notice and bitch about it to her later.

Honestly, Peppan seemed to enjoy his company as well. All they ever really did was talk, even if they flew to one of the planet’s few lagoons and went for a swim. They trained together which sometimes resulted in Raditz pinning Peppan to the ground as they breathed heavily. She’d smile at him which froze his heart. It was in those minutes he wanted to engage her in different activities. He came close to kissing her a few times. He felt true fear over his feelings of admiration.

He didn’t want it, whatever he was feeling. He had grown to care about Peppan, and she didn’t need a screw up like him as a mate. Yet, despite his logic, he was drawn to her. Something about her consciousness pulled him in, and he was always left feeling like shit in those moments he almost surrendered to his urges. It wasn’t right. She was his comrade, his friend. That’s all she could ever be.

Of course, he had no idea what the female Saiyan was thinking. She too felt certain things towards her Saiyan companion. After the first time Raditz came to Peppan at work, she started to see him in a different light. The overly confident and cocky bad boy who was looking for a quick romp was not in his place. He had been vulnerable, and he had trusted her with that vulnerability. She had been so shocked, so she couldn’t understand what that meant.

They had a nice evening and she talked with him while she worked. He even stuck around for a meal and left her with a pretty large tip. The Saiyan didn’t need to do that, but she was thankful. He started frequenting the place more and more, not looking for dates or to drink himself into oblivion, but to have a nice meal and her company. He would always come to the bar when she was working, never on her days off. She knew because her coworkers would mention he only seemed to be there when she was. Strangely enough, Peppan came to look forward to going to work, not just to get away from her mother, but to see Raditz’s cocky smile. They’d engage in light conversation, and then when her shift was over, he’d walk her home and they’d talk about more personal issues, like his transitioning.

Peppan realized when Raditz started to have feelings for her. She felt it through their bond one night when they were off training somewhere. He had been watching her movements so intently, and she could feel his adoration but also his confusion to whatever he was feeling. That feeling of adoration only grew the more time they spent together, but she also felt immense guilt and frustration coming from the other Saiyan. She did her best to let her emotions settle his. They worked only for a moment. When Raditz was alone at his home, it didn’t work as well.

Each time he nearly kissed her, she tried to let her encouragement flow through him, but he always pulled back. She wondered what was going through his head, what his reasoning was for not pursuing his feelings for her. It brought her back to the first night they met and she frowned. She had long been over that interaction, but it never occurred to her that Raditz may not be. Just because she had accepted his apology didn’t mean he forgave himself, hence the guilt he felt.

Deciding to take things into her own hands, Peppan planned a date for them. It was a strange concept the Saiyans learned from other alien races. She figured it was the best way to show Raditz she wanted him. She waited until Raditz showed up at the bar on a day where she was supposed to be working, however she took off, surprising him, and led him out of the bar. Instead, she planned a picnic using those capsules from Earth to store the food.

It was their first, official date—it happened seven months before Kakarot went off to school. Raditz was so surprised by Peppan’s pursuit of a mateship with him. She told him straight out that she wanted to be courted by him, that she understood his feelings. Peppan assured him he didn’t need to feel guilty because it was what she wanted too.

Their mateship didn’t take off overnight. Raditz was still very wary of himself and her. He was afraid he’d cause her pain, hurt her in one of his lapses. He hadn’t had another since that night he met her, but he hadn’t had a lapse years before either. He was very complacent taking their mateship slowly.

Peppan was as well. She didn’t want to make Raditz uncomfortable. Apparently, the Saiyan had never courted anyone before. The night the two shared their histories, Peppan admitted that she had been courted once before by someone who had a player’s reputation. It was a friend of hers from childhood, but he couldn’t remain faithful to her. Their bond was shattered, and Peppan lost both a childhood friend and her intended. She was thankful they never made it far in their courtship. They never even had the talk, never had the fight. All she had with him were childhood memories and betrayal.

Raditz was shocked by everything Peppan told him about her past courtship and her mother. He had already known some of it, but to hear that the woman treated her daughter so poorly disgusted him. He knew she looked to her daughter for money, that she berated her for her career choice, but he had no idea the real reasons behind it.

Back when the Saiyans were still purgers, children were sent to other planets. Their families were paid if they completed a mission. Peppan was a sickly baby, the reason she was so thin now despite the development of her toned muscle. She was weak and could not be sent away. A third-class born to a family of elites, a disgrace to the family, she was unwanted by her mother. Her father, on the other hand, protected her from the woman.

When he died, Peppan was inconsolable. She knew she might have to find another place to live. Her mother decided to keep her around, though, so that she could siphon the money Peppan inherited from her father. As long as Peppan gave money, she was free to live there.

It was during the time of the transition where Peppan found the job at the bar. It didn’t pay much, but she enjoyed the clientele and made friends with all the usuals. After her shift, she and her coworkers would finish off whatever open bottles there were, and she could usually fly home and then blackout. Her mother’s treatment made her feel less of herself, and her childhood friend had brought that spark back to her, but then he, too, crushed it, which made Peppan guarded and cold when it came to men.

Raditz began to understand her more, understood why she didn’t want a fling. Had he not gone back to apologize, she wouldn’t have even given him the time of day. Because he was appalled by his own actions, Peppan realized that he wasn’t like her ex, and she opened up to him more because he wasn’t trying to sleep with her.

Spending time together made Peppan feel better about herself. Raditz was a great confidant who never put her down when she complained about her mother, work, or anything else. Instead, he’d counter the things her mother would say. He didn’t realize that, as she helped him heal, he was helping her.

Eventually, after they had the night, they had the fight while swimming in their lagoon. At first it had been a race, but when Peppan taunted him, Raditz pursued her. They enjoyed their game of cat and mouse, and eventually Raditz grabbed ahold of Peppan and refused to let her go. Peppan surrendered to him, and they were ready to mate.

However, they could never find a peaceful moment to do so.

Every time they came close, they were always interrupted somehow. The first time was when Kakarot showed up after training with Vegeta. Kakarot called for him. Both Raditz and Peppan were startled. Raditz quickly got dressed and left Peppan in his room so that he could appease his brother. That was the day where Kakarot told Raditz he would be going to school on Earth with Vegeta. The king was apparently sending his son away, and Vegeta was not looking forward to it. Raditz was disappointed that he hadn’t mated Peppan that day, but he knew they’d have more time when his brother was gone.

His brother never knew Raditz was in a relationship. He had always been frivolous with women. Now, he realized that the commitment was important, and so he needed some sort of confirmation from Kakarot that he’d be okay with it without having to tell him. He told his younger brother that if he met someone while away that he wanted to mate, even if Raditz didn’t meet her, he would support the relationship. Kakarot was stunned, and Raditz felt awkward, so he played it off with, “Especially if she’s hot.”

Kakarot rolled his eyes at the antics, not fully understanding, but then he sensed his older brother had been serious. “Yeah, well, if you ever met someone, I’d accept her too.”

Raditz scoffed, not wanting to admit yet that he had somebody. He pretended to be disgusted by the idea while he internally beamed that Kakarot—truthfully the only opinion that mattered to him—gave him the okay. He grew even more excited at the prospect of having a mate.

The next time Raditz and Peppan were able to be alone, they were at Peppan’s place. Her mother was gone for the weekend visiting a friend. Peppan prepared everything, cooked a lot of food that they both enjoyed. They ate their meal and then ended up making out on the large, comfortable couch. Unfortunately, for the two of them, Peppan’s mother came home early. When she saw them together, she gave her daughter hell and degraded her. Raditz stepped in to defend her, but the woman didn’t want to discuss anything with him. She, like her daughter, knew his reputation as well and warned the girl away from him before she went up to her room and slammed the door.

Their moment had been ruined, though Raditz instantly embraced Peppan as she cried. She tried so hard to remain strong all the time, always resolved never to let her mother see her broken. The two of them did stay in Peppan’s room, but they spent the night cuddling as Raditz comforted her and rubbed her back. It made Peppan feel so special.

They almost mated when Kakarot was away at school and Bardock decided to show his face in their home. It had been one of the times his father disappeared, around the celebration of the alliance and the war. Usually, his father disappeared for a couple of weeks, but this time he was only gone for the day of the festival and two days after.

It did not deter the couple, for they cared very deeply for each other. They did mate, finally decided to bypass interruptions by going to the city for a week to actually enjoy themselves and their privacy. After their mating, Peppan’s mother didn’t take it well and threw her out of the house, but Peppan didn’t care. She truly felt complete, as did Raditz, and so she moved in with him. Sometimes it was a good thing that Bardock went off somewhere to brood. It gave them all the privacy in the world.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own DBZ or the characters

Vegeta couldn’t believe what was happening. It had started as a regular day. Kakarot came over so they could train for a few hours, and then Zorn summoned Vegeta to his father so that he could either learn about the new policies or attend meetings with foreign leaders. The prince hated that he was taken away from training. These meetings were nothing but a hindrance in his progression. Kakarot would normally tease him whenever he said such a thing. It couldn’t be helped, the way Vegeta felt. One day, King Cold would strike back, and Vegeta needed to be ready. In the years of peace, other Saiyans became satisfied with the new lifestyles. Vegeta was not.

His parents tried to get him to lower his guard, but Vegeta knew better. They’d betray him again. The only aspect of his life Vegeta could admit his paranoia was that he sometimes feared his parents would harm him, even after all these years. He would admonish himself, remind himself that he was physically stronger than both the king and queen. Kakarot certainly kept him on his toes over the years.

“You will be attending school at a university on Planet Earth.”

Vegeta’s eyes narrowed. Why would his parents send him there of all places? From what Vegeta saw on the Earthling stations, they were nothing but gossiping busybodies who would impose themselves where they didn’t belong. They weren’t shy about their relationships, adding the act of mating to their shows. Even their sports were infuriating. They were no warriors. What could Vegeta possibly gain by attending?

Apparently a ‘good, multicultural experience’.

What did Vegeta care? He didn’t need to learn their culture to be a decent ruler. The Saiyans hardly interacted with Earth. The planet was used as an intermediary or vacation planet. They hardly ordered resources and tools from the Saiyans, so it didn’t matter. The Saiyans and other allied planets would send them resources on a whim, and also offered their protection. Vegeta had nothing at all to gain from this.

Frustrated, Vegeta turned off the television device. His father suggested he watch some Earthling entertainment to learn more about them. Apparently, he had come in on the one show that he detested more than their poorly thought-out sports. It was something called “So You Think You Can Dance Dirty?” Disgusted by the dancers and the commentators, Vegeta had to turn off that filth. How could anyone find that entertaining?

He found himself at his favorite Saiyan restaurant he stumbled across years earlier. It had been around the time he was a teenager. It was the night of the alliance festival and he needed to escape. He hated celebrating, for all the event served to do was remind him of his past sufferings and pain. He remembered those days clearly. He could time where he was weeks before, letting Jaco go to warn his parents which instigated Frieza to torture him. Vegeta shuddered at the thought.

The waiter greeted him and spoke in the native Saiyan language, instead of the new universal language all the allied planets adopted, just as he had the first day Vegeta found the place. It was a small place in a shady crux of the downtown area, but the smell of the food had drawn the prince. Its smells were so familiar, the last real restaurant that served solely Saiyan cuisine. All the other places still served some Saiyan dishes, but they were embellished now. No, this little cave restaurant was the one reminder of Vegeta’s time before Frieza, and so he frequented it ever since. Of course, he was skeptical at first. He wondered if any of his people would poison him. Eventually, it became a place where he felt safe and comfortable that didn’t involve going to the outskirts.

As Vegeta consumed his meal, he thought about what was in store for him. He was going to a planet where he would be even more limited in his training. Technically, it wasn’t fully legal to use half of his abilities, and he couldn’t get into a fight with a random stranger for he would either kill the bastard or wind up in prison either way for assault. He growled and shook his head. Earth was not a place he ever wanted to visit.

Vegeta begged his parents to send him anywhere else. He could see the apprehension in his mother’s eyes, which, he found out from Nappa, was because the queen didn’t want him to be sent away at all. She only agreed to it because the king convinced her it would be a good experience for him. The prince had been stunned that his mother tried to get him out of it. Why she gave in, Vegeta had no idea. Maybe it was because she was pregnant with another child so her argumentative mentality was tampered.

That was another problem Vegeta wasn’t ready to face. Little Tarble was born only a few days before he would leave for Earth. He was scheduled to depart in twenty-four hours with Nappa and Kakarot in a new, state-of-the-art ship that was completely different from the one-person space pods he was used to. He had only been in a new ship once before when the scientists needed to test it. He needed something to occupy his time since he couldn’t train much anymore, according to his father.

The waiter returned, interrupting his thoughts, and placed a large slab of ribs that was marinated in a jam made of the kulu fruit. It was by far Vegeta’s favorite meal that he always ate slowly and savored. As a child, kulu fruit was his favorite. It was one of the only fruits that grew on Planet Vegeta, and it grew nowhere else in the universe.

Anyway, back to Tarble, his mother wanted Vegeta to go and see the baby before he left, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Something always held him back, some unforeseeable force. He was always at war when himself. There were many times Vegeta found himself outside Tarble’s nursery with his hand on the door. A part of him wanted to go in, meet his baby brother, but another part of him didn’t. He couldn’t afford to bond with another individual, not one he could easily lose. He remembered Frieza every time he passed by, how he threatened to kill Raditz or Nappa just to get to him. With Frieza’s father and brother still out there, Vegeta did not want an attachment with his brother. He’d be used against him if they ever did come after them.

There was no way he would let that happen.

* * *

_Trunks knew the story was coming to an end for he knew a lot about what happened when his father got to Earth. On the first day, his father ran into his mother but did not care since the woman hadn’t been paying attention. They all went to a club—whatever that was—where his Uncle Yamcha ended up hitting on his mother, and his dad stepped in. From that story alone, Trunks knew it was best to avoid alcohol at all costs. He did see some soldiers drinking at times and crinkled his nose at their behavior._

_When Tarble heard his brother reiterate that he hadn’t gone to see him when he was born, the little prince felt a pang of sympathy. He understood why since Vegeta admitted it before. The child didn’t hold it against his older brother. He was just happy that most of his memories had Vegeta in them._

_“I was adamant about not going to that place,” Vegeta stated. “I never expected to meet Bulma or that we’d ever form such a strong bond. Because of her, I felt whole despite my past. She completed me.”_

_The three sat in silence in the garden and ate food that was brought out to them as a nice break. It was pleasant, warm, and not because of the temperature to which they were so accustomed. “I’m glad you met Bulma,” Tarble announced. “She’s really great. She helped me master that move I couldn’t figure out.”_

_“Yup, Mom is awesome,” Trunks chimed proudly. He looked to his father. “You both have been through so much.”_

_Vegeta agreed and answered with a nod as he ate his portion. He couldn’t deny how amazing his woman was. She brought him out of the darkness of his past, got thrown deep into that darkness and survived, and then bore him a son whom they both adored. Vegeta had told himself for the couple of months, after his parents announced their decision to send him, that Planet Earth had absolutely nothing for him. Going there, to him at that time, was a mistake. Even when he crashed into her the first time, he loathed her. He shoved her to the side when she was about to crash into him. She was just another human._

_His entire outlook changed when he overheard her conversations with Kakarot’s mate, when he saw her training herself passed the point of exhaustion as he had done so many times. She wasn’t this empty woman. She was intelligent, kind, compassionate, understanding, loyal. She was everything he needed in his life, what he had been missing._

_“Hello, boys.”_

_A playful smirk formed as he heard his mate’s soft and loving voice. “Hello,” he greeted back, his own voice lax. “What brings you here?”_

_Bulma smiled and went straight to her son. She ruffled his hair and made him chuckle. She squeezed Tarble’s shoulder, a gentle grin on the boy’s face. Then she moved to her husband and engaged him in a kiss, not minding the audience, though she was sure the boys were blushing when she sensed their embarrassment and Vegeta’s amusement. “Just wanted to visit my men,” she whispered with hints of passion in her voice. “What were you all talking about?”_

_That snapped Trunks back to reality. The boy came out from behind his hand. “Oh, Dad was just telling us about when he came to Earth. We’ve been talking about the history and stuff.”_

_“I know,” Bulma replied as she grasped her mate’s hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Vegeta only smirked and pulled his woman down to sit on his lap. She looked to him with affectionate eyes. “So, made it to the end, huh?”_

_“Of course,” Vegeta remarked arrogantly. “Did you expect anything less?”_

_“Of course not,” was the answer he received. “Please, don’t stop on my account. Keep going.”_

_For the rest of his story, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her._

* * *

It was time, the moment he was dreading.

Surely it had never been this difficult to leave a planet.

Of course, Vegeta had only left Planet Vegeta twice: once to join Frieza and now again to go to a place he hated simply from watching its news and entertainment programs. It was even more disturbing when his father jokingly said that he could potentially find a mate since Vegeta wasn’t interested in any of the Saiyan women who attempted to have him court them. His face scrunched in disgust. He had no time for a mate. He needed to get stronger. He couldn’t do that on Earth.

The prince spent the morning locked up in his room to get in some last-minute training before he showered and changed. He looked to the Earthling clothes his mother bought him and sneered before he dressed in his usual training attire. Despite leaving Planet Vegeta, Vegeta was a Saiyan and he was going to dress like one or similar to one.

Mental preparation was key to embarking the vessel. It had been so long since he travelled in space, about fifteen years total. Any time his father went off-planet to negotiate, he would try to convince Vegeta to accompany him, but the prince just couldn’t handle it. He was fearful of what he might do, what memories he’d have to fight off. It wasn’t like he could tell his father. Their relationship was strained at best.

Which is why he glowered at the man when he came to see them off.

King Vegeta stood by the ship and waited for his son, his son’s friend, and their guardian. He was thankful that Nappa volunteered to go to Earth with his son. The former general would keep him out of trouble. Kakarot would keep his mind centered. He was a little nervous sending the teenager along for he would encourage his son to train, but there wasn’t that much they could do on Earth anyway. Vegeta would be able to unwind there. That was the hope.

He greeted his son, but he was met with an icy stare. Still, the king would not back down. “Good morning, son,” he spoke. “Are you ready?” Vegeta didn’t answer. His glared only hardened. “I trust you will have a safe journey.”

“Whatever,” the prince grunted as he pushed passed his father. Nappa and Kakarot were already aboard the ship getting ready for takeoff.

Vegeta finally made his way onto the ship. His father saw his pace as an opportunity and called out for him again. The prince looked over his shoulder and saw his father give him a two-fingered salute. It was a sign between comrades, which they were not, and Vegeta sneered at the man before the door closed behind him. He did not notice the man’s crestfallen expression.

On the ship, Vegeta needed to strap down, at least for takeoff. Then he was free to do whatever he wanted. That was probably the only good thing. Earth was a couple days travel, and he didn’t need to undergo stasis. These ships got rid of the need, allowed people to walk around and live among the stars. It wasn’t as bad as having to travel somewhere a week without stasis in a single-person pod. That was a horrible experience that Vegeta had suffered a few times. It was almost as bad as the isolation punishments.

Speaking of isolation, Vegeta did isolate himself during the trip. Horrible flashes of his past came to him while they traveled, and Vegeta honestly didn’t want Kakarot or Nappa to witness a meltdown if he had one. It was bad enough he had nightmares and wouldn’t be able to resist crying out if he did either of the two nights. He just needed to be left alone. His negative feelings were not helping him much.

Days later, Vegeta was still trapped within his own mind, but Nappa’s voice called his attention. “Prince Vegeta, we are nearing Earth’s atmosphere. Get situated for the landing.”

Vegeta sighed with derision. “Fine Nappa. Make sure the idiot gets buckled down as well.”

“Right,” Nappa muttered.

Vegeta took a seat and prepared himself for landing. He still wasn’t looking forward to whatever the mudball planet held. He knew he was going to hate his time there. What he didn’t know was that he was wrong, and he would bump into the love of his life that very same day.

* * *

_The couple watched as Trunks and Tarble ran around the garden racing, wrestling, and playing. The children were having such a blast. Bulma lifted her hand to stroke Vegeta’s cheek. She was still sitting in his lap, his grip tightened around her as her hand ran itself through his feathery hair. He sighed in contentment, thankful the boys were nowhere near as he stroked her thigh. He chuckled when she gasped and outright laughed when she smacked his hand away._

_“Not here,” she chided, hissed in a whisper. “You’re still so impatient.”_

_“Your fault for being desirable,” he teased before he nipped her nose with his lips. “Your scent is different. What did you do?”_

_Bulma grinned and impishly bit her lip. “Well, there’s a reason for that, actually,” she started to explain. Vegeta could sense her delight and gazed into her eyes. Her mate’s curiosity made her feel incredibly giddy. “Well, I went to the doctor today. Remember the dizzy spells I was having last week?”_

_“Yes,” Vegeta replied, his brow furrowed. He had been so concerned for her, but then the spells passed, and Bulma was back to normal. She started increasing her food portions, but nothing too heavy. “Is everything all right?”_

_“Yeah,” she murmured lightly. “Vegeta, we’re having another baby.”_

_His mind stopped, and Bulma could sense that. She smiled and kissed his cheek as she waited for the news to process. After all, she reacted the same way. It wasn’t a big surprise to her considering how often they were together. Still, her dizziness was not what she expected. When she was pregnant with Trunks, she was more nauseous than dizzy. “When?” he asked her._

_“The doctor said I am a couple months along, but I couldn’t give you an exact date,” she teased before she kissed his lips once again. His grip on her thighs tightened as he responded to her kiss. They were both aware that the boys were still sparring on the other side of the garden, so they didn’t mind their public moment._

_Vegeta broke away first and smirked at the woman. “Looks like we did it again.”_

_Bulma grinned and blushed. “Uh-huh, about time, right? We need to start preparing for this little one. No offense to you or Trunks, but I’m kind of hoping for a little girl.”_

_Vegeta contemplated her words for a moment before he nodded in agreement. “A girl would not be such a bad thing. She would be the first princess born into the royal house.”_

_Bulma nuzzled her head against his chest. “You complete me,” she murmured._

_“You complete me, too.”_

_What would he have ever done without her?_

* * *

The Empire flourished vastly since the defeat of Frieza while the PTO began to crumble. Many of the planets that had been pirated were absorbed into the alliance and were protected by the Galactic Patrol, the Saiyans, and many other powerful races. None of this sat right with King Cold. He hated the three races that tore his son down. Despite what he promised his eldest son, he began plotting against the Nameks, Kanassans, and Saiyans right away.

Those blasted three races were the reason his youngest was dead. It was no secret that King Cold favored Frieza over Cooler. Because of this loss, the monarch started to think up ways to eliminate the son of the leader of each race. He would start with the Saiyans, for they were the ones who delivered the final blow to his precious child. After, no one would be able to stop him from taking control of the universe.

Still, catching the Saiyan prince would be an impossible task. Prince Vegeta was trained by King Cold’s brilliant son, after all. There would be no way to catch him off-guard. Cold couldn’t even get his spies on Planet Vegeta over the years. Only few alien planets didn’t screen very well.

He heard rumors from his operatives on a random planet that the prince would attend school on Earth. Earth was fairly new to intergalactic politics, and he knew enough about them to turn their loyalties. There was a wealthy, influential man who had been warned against entering space back in the day when the Saiyans were purging on their own, before the PTO hired them as mercenaries. King Cold knew about this for he knew his son captured the daughter of this man and most likely ended her. She had been wanted along with her mate for illegally transferring information on their plans to other planets.

To the Arcosian’s surprise, the Saiyan prince had been seen with this same man’s other daughter and was courting her according to his planet’s customs. A bond had already been formed. Knowing this, King Cold decided to make a move. He knew just want he needed to get information on the Saiyan’s relationship. The influential Earth man would unknowingly bring him closer to his revenge.

He used a communication system he privately hacked to contact Capsule Corp., the company owned by this cynical man. When surprised, dark eyes gazed upon the alien, King Cold greeted the Earthling. “Dr. Briefs, I presume.”

The human’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“I only wish to speak with you for a moment,” King Cold responded. “I have information of great importance. It is about your daughter.”

“My daughter is away at school, and I know exactly what is going on,” he snapped. “Good day.”

“I’m talking about your other daughter, Tights Briefs.” That alone shut Dr. Briefs up. “I have information on how she died.”

Sadness reflected in the Earthling’s orbs. He didn’t want to believe, didn’t want to know. He knew she had been attacked by aliens for that’s what his distraught daughter cried. He glared at the face on the screen. “I know how she died. She was murdered on our planet by a pack of aliens. I don’t need to know anything else.”

“Are you sure about that?” King Cold crooned. “Not even who orchestrated the attack?”

He could see the conflict rage in the human and inwardly smirked. Cold knew what the man’s answer would be. “I’m listening.”

Victorious, Cold stated, “It was the Saiyans. Her mate orchestrated the attack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And now it’s over, and hopefully this chapter answered some more questions. I hope everyone enjoyed this prequel, and now onto Camaraderie. Everyone make their predictions now. It’s going to be a bumpy ride ;)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who’s supporting this series. I had a blast writing Blackmail, and I enjoyed writing this backstory. I hope everyone is ready for the next part! I have a couple other stories to edit before then, but it's coming. And for those who can't wait, you can always read the unedited story currently on FFN. ;)


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